What Kyle and Jessi remember
by vonny25
Summary: A Kessi fanfiction. It is an alternative version of Kyle XY, where Kyle finds Jessi instead of Madacorp. Their great brains working together and unaltered are able to remember each other from there time in Zzyzx. It will also include an alternative story for Adam and Sarah. The story starts somewhere in Season 2. I of course don't own Kyle XY. I mean no harm.
1. Chapter 1, Encounter

Chapter 1

Encounter

Kyle had just rescued a girl from a fire, at the party by the beach. His jacket was burned, however he suffered no injury. Declan told him to run away, and he ran past Nicole. She was surprised to see Kyle cloths burned, and him uninjured.

781228 had hidden in a Cave in the Woods after escaping from the explosion at Zzyzx. After she escaped, she had followed the smell of food to the camp of a hunter. When she got there, naked and covered in pink gel, the hunter had attacked her with a knife, with a plan to rape her. XX in her confusion and innocence had not realized the intentions of the hunter, until he cut her at the level of the ribs. Then in self-defense, she took the knife away from the hunter, and threw in to a tree, when the hunter started touching her naked body, she punched him in the face and threw him a few feet away, in to a tree and he fell unconscious to the ground. XX was feeling, scared, cold and in pain. For the first time she saw blood, her own blood. She walked towards the hunter and removed his jacket, and clothed herself with it. Then she took off running in fear. The pain and the loss of blood did not let her to go very far, so she hid in a cave. Instinctually she applied pressure on her wound. She was too scared to leave her hiding place, and thankfully that prevented her from getting captured by Emily from Madacorp.

After being in the cave for a week, going from consciousness to unconsciousness, as her wound had gotten infected, it was thirst and hunger that got her to go out of hiding. It was evening; she started walking towards the lights in the horizon, hoping to find water and food. She was feverish, and confused.

Kyle was running home, without paying much attention, when he ran in to XX by some trees knocking her down, and tripping on top of her. The connection was immediate they both felt it, and fell in to a semi-comatose states, their minds connecting. Kyle found himself naked in a grey room, at a distant he could see a feminine naked figure, that was approaching him, he started running towards her, then stopped and said, _XX?, is it really you?,_ XX responded, _yes it is me_, and excitedly hugged him crying. _Oh! XY, I thought I would never see you again, I thought they had killed you! My life had no meaning without you_, then she kissed him passionately, and he enthusiastically returned the kiss, telling her, _I love you XX_, after they broke the kiss.

Then they came out of their semi-comatose state. Kyle rolled off XX and sat up, he took in the scene. XX was lying on the grass looking at him with wide happy, yet frightened eyes; she had pink gel, dirt and leaves all over her. She was only wearing a bloody jacket, her lips were dry and cracked, and her eyes were sunken. Then a small groan of pain left her mouth and she grabbed her side, there was a putrid smell coming from her. Kyle started to panic, _XX you are sick! what is wrong?_ XX simply lifted her jacket and exposed the cut on her side that was draining a greenish putrid fluid.

Kyle looked at her with great compassion and love, and kneeled by her. _XX, I am going to take you home, don't worry, I will take care of you. Here let me carry you, you are in no condition of walking; let me cover your legs with my jacket. _Then lovingly he lifted her up and XX bit her lower lip to prevent herself from screaming in pain. Then she placed her hands around his neck and buried her face in his chest crying from happiness and pain, all at the same time. Kyle started walking slowly, trying not to hurt her. _Shoo, shoo, XX we are almost there, please don't cry. I hate seeing you like this_. Then he kissed the top of her head. Tears were rolling down his cheeks.

Kyle got home, after the Tragers had gone to bed. Nicole had assumed that Kyle was already sleeping when they got home, so they did not bother to open his door. Immediately after entering the house, Kyle laid XX in his Bath tub, and cleaned the tears from her cheeks, with his hands. Then he lightly kissed her lips, and smiled at her, she returned the smile after a few seconds, and with her hand reached to touch his face as to convince her-self that he was real_. XX you are shivering, and your jacket is wet and dirty. Here let me take it off, and wrap you in this blanket_.

XX could understand everything Kyle was communicating, mostly through the mental link that they shared with each other. _Thank you XY, I feel better_, she communicated through their mental link_. Wait here XX, I am going to go and get you some juice and food, you need to regain your strength_. With that Kyle left the room and went to the Kitchen. He opened a can of chicken soup and warmed it in the microwave, he then poured 2 large glasses of orange juice, and placed everything on a tray, and took it back to his room.

When he entered his room, XX was moaning in pain and appeared unconscious. He set the tray on his desk, and lightly touched her shoulders to try to wake her up, it worked. She opened her eyes and with trouble focused them on his face. Kyle said_ everything is going to be all right, I bet that you are thirsty_. Then he took a small sip out of his orange juice, to show her how to drink. _Here is your juice XX_, and with that he handed her the glass. XX took her arms out of the blanket that she was wrapped in, and the blanket rolled off her upper body. She extended her arms and grabbed the glass with her hands; she took it to her lips and took a little sip as she had watch Kyle doing. She made a face of surprise and amazement. She thought to herself, Wow! Whatever this is it I like it, I bet it will help my electrolytes and fluids to regain balance. With that she took the glass to her lips and started drinking a bit too enthusiastically, she then started choking and orange juice sprayed out of her mouth to her face, to Kyle's face and all over her upper body. Kyle had been drinking his orange juice to, when XX started spraying orange juice all over, she was making a funny face, and he could not stop himself from laughing, spraying the orange juice that he had in his mouth all over.

XX listened to his laugh, she thought it was a happy wonderful sound, and before she knew it she was laughing to, for the first time in her life, however laughter increased the pain on her side, and she made a grimace, and grabbed her side.

Kyle looked with concern at her and told her, _here let me help you, _with that he took the glass out of her hands, then wrapped her back in the blanket, and cleaned both of their faces with a napkin. XX observed curiously. Then Kyle proceeded to give her little sips of her orange juice, by taking the cup to her lips. XX liked feeling taken care by Kyle, so she let him help her, even though she was pretty sure she could handle it.

After XX finished her juice, Kyle had a spoon full of chicken soup to show XX how to eat it. Then patiently he feed her the chicken soup.

I want to let you know that English is my second language. I will do my best with spelling and grammar. Suggestions, ideas and corrections are appreciated. Please review.


	2. Chapter 2, The first night

Chapter 2

The first night.

Kyle POV

After I finished feeding XX, I realized she needed a real name. I did not like calling her by her Zzyzx name, as somehow it seemed to acknowledge that she and I were only experiments. That made me angry as I knew we were human beings.

I took her thin cold hands in mine and kissed them. Then verbally and through our mental link, I told her, _XX my human name is Kyle. _I said my name very slowly, so she could hear it clearly. She slowly repeated "_Kyle", _it was her first word as far as I knew, and she smiled and seemed very proud of her self. Her voice was harmonious and soft.

XX then got a concerned look on her face, and asked me mentally, _am I human? Of course you are, _I responded looking deep in to her beautiful green-hazel eyes. _Then what is my human name? _She asked. _You don't have one, we need to find you one that you like, _I said. _How do we do that? _She responded.

I had to think about it for a minute, after all I had never named another person, I had not even named myself. So I told her how a kind man at the children's home, where I went after being found, had named me after his brother Kyle.

XX thought about it for a minute, and then communicated, _then why don't you name me. I am sure I will like the name you pick for me. Are you sure?_ I asked, and she shook her head affirmatively smiling at me.

I started pacing around my room considering different names; I wanted the perfect name for her. Erika, Faustina, Lilly, Rose, Linda and many others just did not seem to fit her personality. Then I thought about the female character in the play by Shakespeare, "Merchant of Venice". Jessica the people with that name have a personality that is cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional, according to the baby names dictionary. That would be a perfect name, and we could call her Jessi for short.

So I told her, what do you think about naming you _"Jessi"? "Jessi" _I_ like, _she said, making her first sentence, grammar would come later. She looked so adorable wrapped in a blanket up to her neck, that I had to kiss her, she seemed quite happy about it.

Then I noticed the putrid smell coming from her side and realized that I had to tend to her wound. So after making sure that she was comfortable, I left the room to gather some supplies to clean her wound.

When I came back, I found Jessi, turning her head to look around at my room; she smiled when I came in. I then told her, _Jessi, I need to clean the wound on your side, I think it is infected, it might hurt a little. How did you get that anyway? _She then linked her mind to mine and showed me how she got it. I held her hand as she showed me. Jessi was standing naked by a fire; it looked like she had just got out of her pod. Then a drunken man came at her and cut her with a knife, and then started touching her body. That made me so angry, how dare he take advantage of Jessi. I felt I wanted to kill him; I probably would have if I had been there, my blood was boiling. To try to calm me down Jessi showed me how she had been able to run away from him.

When we broke the mental link, Jessi was sobbing quietly, tears rolling down her cheeks. I got in to the tub with her and held her in my arms while she cried, trying to say consoling words, and sending waves of love to her.

When she was done crying, I cleaned the tears off her face with my hands and kissed her forehead. Then I helped her to lie down in my tub, and uncovered her wound. I had to take a deep breath as the smell and the sight of it made me nauseous. I could only imagine how painful it must be to Jessi.

The cut was on her left side about an inch below her breast, it was about 5 inches long and over one of her ribs, and about ¾ of an inch deep, it had green liquid draining from it and there was a 3 inch area around it that was red and swollen. I gather all of my courage, as I knew cleaning it would be painful to Jessi.

I got a wash cloth with warm soapy water on it and started cleaning the wound, Jessi's body stiffened, and her hands were clench in to a fist. I looked at her face and her eyes were closed in pain, and she was biting her lower lip to prevent herself from screaming, it broke my heart. I had to get this done fast, so I rapidly started cleaning the greenish material off, until I started seeing Jessi's muscle, then I rinsed the wound with bottled water, and dried it off with a clean towel. I applied a generous amount of antibiotic ointment that Nicole kept in the bathroom, and covered the wound with gauze, that I then taped to her skin.

_All done_ I told her, she opened her eyes and her features relaxed, she then surprised me and said _"Thank you, Kyle", _Wow! She was learning to talk faster than I did.

Then I realized that the blanket that I had around her was wet and a total mess. So I took it off her, and cleaned my tub a little with it. Then I got a clean comforter and rapped Jessi with it. I sat there looking at her, taking her all in; I could not believe my good luck at having her with me.

I left the room briefly to wash my hands, and to get the peanut butter jar, and some Gatorade to give to Jessi, as she was malnourished and still dehydrated.

When I came back I found her shivering so hard that it almost seemed like she was convulsing, sweat was running down her forehead. I touched her and she was Ice cold. I then realized that her body was trying to increase her temperature to fight the infection; however she did not have enough reserves.

I quickly grabbed another blanket and threw it on her, then I took my clothes off, and got in my tub with Jessi, wrapping both of us in the comforter and in the blanket. I wanted my skin to touch hers, so I could share my body heat with her. Then I concentrated to try to raise my body temperature, to my surprise it worked. It took about 15 minutes to warm Jessi up, after that I just kept holding her, and she fell asleep in my arms. Unfortunately I did not know that I could alter my body to heal others.

I sat there in my tub going over the events of the day, sleep escaping me, as I was so worried about Jessi. I also was wondering how I would explain her presence in the house to Nicole and Stephen. I hope they would understand, as I could not be away from Jessi. She was my soul mate, the woman of my life. I wondered how it had been even possible for me to be attracted to Amanda, obviously I had been confused, my feelings for her were just friendship, and they would stay that way.

I lean my head in to Jessi's head and breath in her womanly scent, yes it was a bit strong, but wonderful to me. After a while I decided to wake Jessi up so I could get some food and fluids in her, it was essential for her to recover her strength. I started kissing her cheeks, and then moved to her neck, I think I tickled her, as she woke up giggling.

_Jessi, I am sorry to wake you up. I want you to drink some Gatorade, and eat some peanut butter, it will help you._ Without waiting for an answer, I proceeded to give her small sips of Gatorade and spoonful's of peanut butter; she just kept opening her mouth like a little hungry puppy. After she eat a half jar of peanut butter, I decided to stop. I did not want for her to get a tummy ache. By then it was 4 am.

Jessi fell asleep in my arms again; I did not want to go to sleep, as I wanted to watch over Jessi. However I was so tired that before I knew it I fell asleep. I did not wake up until I heard Stephens voice yelling at me. _Kyle what are you __thinking, why do you have a girl sleeping with you? _He said.

Jessi POV

I was so happy to be with Kyle, he was taking care of me, and I loved it. I had no idea of how we had found each other, and it really did not matter. All that matter is that we were together again. Actually closer than ever, at least physically. When we had been in Zzyzx, our bodies were paralyzed and inside a pod. Our link was mental. Now we could touch each other, and I was learning how to make sounds with my mouth, like Kyle.

I liked the way his name sounded. Then he had chosen a name for me, Jessi. I thought I was lucky that it was him picking my name, apparently in his case it had been a stranger picking his name.

Kyle was worried about me being cold, so he took off the wet cloth, I was wearing, and rapped me in some warm nice smelling, soft cloth. It felt wonderful to be dry. He also feed me and gave me fluids. I had not realized how hungry and thirsty I was, the pain in my lower abdomen started diminishing.

I had an ugly opening on my side, I showed Kyle how I got it, he seemed really angry at the creature that attacked me; to calm him down I showed him how I was able to escape. Then he proceeded to clean the opening on my skin. It was really painful, but he said it was necessary. When he was finished, at least all the green substance was gone, and the nasty smell was gone to. He also covered it so I did not have to look at it. I was very thankful for that, as it really scared me to look at it.

Suddenly I started shivering and shaking, there was a clear fluid coming out of my skin. Thankfully Kyle knew what to do. He took the cloths he was wearing on his body off, and claimed in with me, so my skin could touch his skin, then he wrapped us is some heavy cloths, and heated me up. I felt so warm and safe in his arms, that I closed my eyes, and went I to a semiconscious state, that latter I would learn was called sleep. I felt a warm leak of fluid between my legs. I had not had that problem for a couple of sun cycles, maybe because I had not had enough fluid in me. I opened my eyes, however Kyle had his eyes closed and appeared to be resting. I closed my eyes again, and thought I would ask him what that leak meant when we finished resting.

I opened my eyes to a loud angry sound which a strange being was emitting. The being had a red face that reminded me of the face of the being in the woods. My hearth started pounding hard, and I buried my face in to Kyle's chest, looking for safety. I knew he would protect me.

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I hope you like my story. It is my first fan fiction story. English is my second language, so please be patient with me. I would appreciate reviews, suggestions, ideas and comments. I will try to update a few times a month. I have no idea how long the story will be.


	3. Facing the music

Chapter 3

Facing the music

Stephen was standing at the door of Kyle's room. He had gone to wake him up for breakfast. Kyle was generally an early riser, so he was surprised that he was still a sleep at 9 in the morning. Sure it was Sunday, and the party last night had probably tired him out. He was surprised when he did not answer after he knocked on his door.

Stephen waited there for a minute expecting an answer. He was a respectful loving father and did not like to go in to his children's room with out there permission. He then opened the door, and was shocked to find Kyle in his tub with a girl that he did not know sleeping on his chest. He expected that from Josh or Lori, but certainly not from Kyle, who was always so concerned about doing the "right thing".

Stephen could not contain himself and started yelling_,"__Kyle what are you thinking, why do you have a girl sleeping with you? If your mother finds out she is going to kill you!_

Kyle jump up to a sitting positions, and opened his eyes after rubbing them, with that Stephen noticed that he was not wearing a shirt. Jessi buried her face in Kyle chest, pulling the blanket over her head, her heart was pounding hard. She started shaking and wailing loudly, when she heard Stephen say that someone was going to kill Kyle. Kyle had no idea of why she was wailing, however he held her close to him. He then said, _"Stephen I can explain this, it is not what it appears, really"._

By this time Nicole, Lori, Josh and Stephen were standing in Kyle's room, looking at him and at Jessi in the tub. Kyle's face was beat red with embarrassment. Josh said, _"Hey brother, sure the lady is really pretty, but what were you smoking? It stinks in here"_.

When Jessi heard other hearth beats and someone talking, she became convinced that Kyle and she were going to be killed. She threw her arms around Kyle's neck, with the blanket falling to her waist, and she started crying hysterically and shaking even harder. Kyle quickly covered her with the blanket again, and asked her with a concerned voice, _Jessi what is wrong? Is the pain getting worse? _Jessi communicated mentally, _I am scared because the creatures are going to kill us._ Kyle responded mentally and with his voice, _Jessi what makes you think that my family is going to kill us? _Jessi communicated, _that is what the first big being said,_ _he said that if your mother found out she would kill you, and I guess she has found out that we were resting together. _Kyle stroke her hair with one hand and put a few strands of her sticky wavy brown hair behind her ear, then he lifted her chin and looked at her in the eye, then he told her _Jessi no one is going to kill us, it is just an expression. Please don't cry you know I would never let anyone hurt you, we are safe._ Then Kyle kissed her forehead to reassure her.

Jessi started calming down, her crying became quieter, and she stopped shaking, her head went back to Kyle's chest and she closed her eyes. Lori said under her breath in a sarcastic tone,_ That is all we need, Kyle's girlfriend is a drama queen and a tease. _

Stephen and Nicole were trying to make some sense of the scene before their eyes. Nicole's maternal instincts had kicked in when she heard the girl crying, and when she saw that the girl was extremely dirty and way to skinny. She realized that somehow Kyle and the girl were having a conversation, as it seemed that Kyle was answering questions that the girl had. It appeared to have calmed the girl down, and she was happy about that, she would have to ask about it later.

Nicole thought about the situation for a minute, and said in a low calming voice, as she did not want to frighten the girl, _Kyle why don't you give us the fast explanation now, and we can save the rest of it for after you and your guest clean up and get dressed._

Kyle opened his mouth; however nothing came out, as he did not know how he was supposed to summarize 16 years in a few words. Then he opened his mouth again and blurted out, _her name is Jessi, I have known her all of my life and love her very much. She comes from the same place from where I come from. I found her yesterday when I was running back home, she managed to escape, she was hurt and hungry, and I could not leave her alone. She has no one else and no other place to go. _Nicole thought to herself well that explains why she is here, however it does not explain why both of them were sleeping naked in Kyle's tub. What does Kyle mean by able to escape?

Stephen said_, let's go to eat breakfast and let Kyle and Jessi clean up_. _Kyle you and Jessi join us for breakfast when you are ready. Then we will talk. _Everyone turned around to leave Kyle's room, then Kyle said, _Lori would you loan Jessi some of your clothes? She has none. Josh do you think you could loan Jessi your old snickers, I think they are her size. _Lori rolled her eye and said, _whatever, I'll put them in the bathroom; she sure needs a shower before she puts my clothes on. _Josh said, _sure anything for your girl my man. But it is not fair my bro, why do you get the pretty girls and I get the magazine? Seriously. _Kyle had to laugh at Josh comment; Josh always had a way to make stressful situations light.

When the family left Kyles room, he said, _Jessi how are you feeling? _Jessi communicated, _better Kyle thank you. How are you feeling Kyle? I am feeling like the luckiest teenager on earth, having you here with me, recovering my memory from our time at Zzyzx is priceless to me. We were so lucky to bump in to each other. I think that with our minds working together we were able to recover our memories. _Kyle said with his voice and his mind, he wanted for Jessi to learn to talk as fast as possible, and he thought that was a good way to teach her. Jessi responded, _I think you are right. I had not thought about it, but after I was able to escape the explosion at Zzyzx, I had no memory of my life in the pod until you bump in to me, and then everything came back._

Kyle decided it was time to get cleaned up, so he got up and helped Jessi to her feet carefully. Then he stepped out of the tub, and told Jessi, _time for you to experience your first shower. _Jessi asked with a concern face, _Kyle, What is a shower? You are going to love it Jessi, just trust me on this one. _With that Kyle got his robe and put it on Jessi, he had her sit on his chair, while he got his Pajama pants on and grabbed a few towels and his clothes.

Kyle then took Jessi from the chair in to his arms, and pilled the towels and his clothes on top of her. Jessi said, _Kyle I think I can walk you don't have to carry me. But Jessi, I want to hold you in my arms; it has been so long since we were together. Please? _He said with begging eyes. Jessi responded by giving him a light kiss on the lips, and resting her head on his shoulder.

Kyle carried Jessi up the stairs and in to the bathroom. Then he opened the shower and waited while the water warmed up. While they were waiting, Jessi remembered she had a question and asked, _Kyle, I think I have a problem, sometimes I have warm fluid leaking between my legs, it happened last night, is there something wrong with me? _She was looking at Kyle with an innocent expression on her face. Kyle had noticed when he woke up that Jessi had peed on them. He had said nothing, as he remembered when he had peed on himself at the children's home and how the other children had laughed at him. He did not want to embarrass Jessi.

Kyle thought about how to respond for a moment, and then taking her hands in his hands and looking her in the eye he said, _there is nothing wrong with you Jessi, the liquid is called urine or pee, it is made by the kidneys to clean the blood of impurities, and to maintain the electrolyte and liquid balance._ Then he showed her the toilet and told her, _when you feels like you need to pee, you need to come to the toilet, sit on it and let the liquid out. It is a good idea to use the toilet at night before going to bed to avoid getting wet at night._

Jessi communicated, _I think I need to use the toilet now; may I give it a try?_ And with that she sat on it and started to urinate. Kyle turned around to give her some privacy, and decided that he would ask Lori to teach Jessi more about how to take care of herself.

Then Kyle decided that the water was warm enough and pulled Jessi in to the shower with him, they both really needed a shower he thought. Jessi started to giggled when the warm water started falling on her back. It made Kyle smile. He decided to first give a shower to Jessi so he started by shampooing her long wavy brown hair, he had to wash it 3 times to get all the pink gel and dry mud off. Then he washed her perfectly proportioned body and also had to repeat the process a few times until her skin was nice and clean, and smelled of soap. He had not taken the gauze from her wound off, and decided he would do that last after his shower. He then remembered to condition her hair, and after that he started shampooing his own hair, when he closed his eyes, he felt Jessi washing his body.

"Grapefruit" he thought. He tried to take the sponge away from Jessi, but there was no stopping her now that she had discovered that she could do something for him. He did however manage to take the sponge from her before she got to his lower legs, as he did not want her bending down with her wound. Jessi was smiling and seemed very pleased.

Now came the hard part, cleaning Jessi's wound. He said, _Jessi I need to clean your wound, it will be easier to do it in the shower. I will be as gentle as I can. _Jessi closed her eyes, and shook he head in understanding. With that Kyle took the gauze off, and started cleaning the wound with a wash cloth, it looked better, the liquid now was yellow, and the cut did not seem as deep. There was still some swelling and redness around it, however it had diminished. After cleaning the wound Kyle rinsed it abundantly and washed the skin around the wound again. It appeared that it had not been as painful to Jessi. Then he washed his hands and turned the shower off.

He put a clean wash cloth on top of Jessi wound to keep it dry. Then he proceeded to dry Jessi's hair and body, and then he dried himself off. He then put on his underwear, and helped Jessi to put on the sports Bra and briefs that Lori had left for her.

Now that they had some clothes on, he started tending to Jessi's wound he made sure that it was dry and then applied antibiotic ointment and covered it with gauze. He thought that Jessi's skin seemed a bit dry, so he applied skin lotion to her body. Jessi liked it and then, decided to moisturize Kyle's skin to. Poor Kyle kept repeating "grapefruit, grapefruit, grapefruit".

After Kyle got dressed in some Blue Jeans and a T-shirt, he dressed Jessi in the grey sweat pants and shirt that Lori had loaned her. He put a pair of his socks on her feet. Josh sinkers were a good enough fit for now. He then brushed their hairs, and thought Jessi how to brush her teeth.

Then he looked her over. Her hair was falling in thick wet waves to her back and it framed her beautiful face perfectly. Her hazel-green eyes were looking at him adoringly, and he got trapped in there deepness for a moment. Her thick red lips were still dry, and he would have to put some chopstick on them. Her neck was long and elegant, and very clean now after the shower. The grey sweat pants from Lori were baggie and to short on her tall slender figure, but at least they were clean and warm. The snickers from Josh had a couple of tears on them, where Kyle's socks showed. Kyle thought that he would definitely need to carry her if it rained, so she would not get her feet wet.

Then Kyle told her what he thought, _you look gorgeous Jessi!_ He buried his face in her hair that now smelled like pineapple from the conditioner. Jessi asked him, _what are your doing Kyle? I am learning your smell, _he responded. _Well I want to learn your smell to; _to his surprise she started sniffling him. When she got to his neck, it tickled him, and he rapidly took her cheeks in his hands and gave her a long kiss, they both tasted of mint. _Time to face the music_ he thought.

Kyle took Jessi by the hand and led her to the stairs. They started walking down and the motion, made Jessi grab her side. Kyle immediately took her in his arms, and carried her in to the kitchen. The family was eating a breakfast of pancakes and bacon, the smell, made Jessi's and Kyle's mouth water. They were both very hungry.

Nicole told Kyle, _Kyle, why don't you and Jessi sit at the Island, after you sit her down, why don't you get both of you some breakfast. _Nicole thought it was cute how protective Kyle was of Jessi, and she smiled. She also noticed the way Kyle looked at Jessi; it was the same way that Stephen looked at her since the time they were dating.

Kyle took a plate and proceeded to pile a large amount of pancakes and several pieces of bacon on his plate. He then poured maple syrup on the pancakes, and sat the plate on the Island between his and Jessi's spot. Then he poured 2 large glasses of orange juice, putting one in front of Jessi and drinking out of the other one. He sat by Jessi, who was drinking her orange juice carefully as she did not want to choke again. He started cutting the pancakes, and told Jessi, _they are pancakes a breakfast food, I think you will like them, open your mouth. _Jessi eat the pancake piece from the fork, and Kyle followed with a piece of bacon waiting for her reaction._ I like the pancakes and the bacon, _Jessi said looking at Kyle. Then she turned to look at Nicole and said,_ Thank you for breakfast Nicole. _Nicole was surprised that Jessi could speak, she remembered when they first got Kyle it took him a couple of days to learn how to speak. Kyle squeezed Jessi's hand and gave her a smile, approving her actions.

Kyle kept feeding Jessi, alternating between given food to Jessi and eating himself, everyone in the family was observing them discreetly. Lori was giggling, and finally said, _you know Kyle we have more plates and forks. _Kyle gave her a confused look, and decided to ignore the comment.

_Jessi you need to eat more, really, please have a few more bites, _Kyle said_. _Jessi shook her head negatively and said_ I can't Kyle. _Then Kyle noticed that she was starting to shiver, he was going to get up to get her a blanket when Stephen said, _why don't we move to the living room so we can talk_. Kyle carried Jessi to the living room and sat her on a single couch. Then he said, _I am going to go and get a blanket for Jessi, I will be right back ._Kyle came back with a blanket, lifted Jessi in to his arms and then sat down at the single couch. He covered Jessi with the blanket, and Jessi put her head on his shoulder.

* * *

Kyle's POV

We were sitting at the living room, and I was worried about Jessi who was sitting on my lap and shivering, I decided to raise my body temperature to help her to heat up. Everyone in the family was looking at me waiting for an explanation. I took a minute to collect my thoughts and then started. _I first want to apologize to all of you, for what I am going to tell you. If after I finish you don't want me in your family, I will understand. I did not tell you earlier, because they told me that knowing about me would put you in danger. I also have to admit that I have been afraid to tell you, as you might stop loving me. _Tears were forming in my eyes, and I had to swallow hard. _You know when you took me in to your house about a year ago, I knew nothing, not even how to speak, and everyone thought it was because I had amnesia that was not the case. Then the Peterson's came and claimed me as their child. The Peterson's were paid actors that were sent to take me away from you and to my creator, Adam Baylin. I agreed to go with them because they told me if I stayed with you I would be putting you in danger, and I also had a lot of questions that needed answers. Adam was killed while I was living with him; he died in my arms after being shot._ I had to stop for a minute. Jessi was already cleaning my tears with her hands. Then I resumed.

_Jessi and I are not the product of a normal pregnancy, that is why we don't have belly buttons. We were created in a laboratory called Zzyzx, and left to develop in a pod._ I hand them the picture that Jessi had drew of us in our pods. Then I continued. _I was created about 6 months before Jessi, when we were young baby's, we could feel each other's presence through the computer connections. The propose of out creation was to create superior intellectual development. They kept us in those pods, naked, paralyzed and in a semi-comatose state for almost 16 years. I did not remember my time in the pod until I bumped in to Jessi last night, and then all came back. It was not as pretty as Adam had told me. Jessi and I actually had consciousness there. I think without each other we would have lost our minds, and would have never been able to adapt in to society. For those 16 years, we were all to each other. When we were children, they started using us as biological computers, and decided that we were more valuable to them in the pods than out, we were only experiments and they thought they owned us, most of them did not consider us human. Jessi and I managed to communicate through the computer network without them noticing. We spend a lot of time with each other in a room that we created in our minds. There we would talk, and think about what life would be out of the pod. I would also tell Jessi the stories that Tom Foss, my guard used to read me. He was probably the only one that considered me human; he also played music for me that I shared with Jessi. As we grew older Jessi and I fell in love, we wanted out of the pods. So we started planning, and decided to start rebelling against our creators, I convinced Jessi to let me do it first, as we were not sure what reaction we would get. They reacted by scheduling me for termination. I am lucky that Tom thought I was human, he saved me and left me in the woods, I lost all my memory of Zzyzx and you know the rest. _

_Shortly before I returned to live with you, Tom Foss bombed Zzyzx, as he thought they were the ones that killed Adam. I went to try to stop him, I believe I made contact with Jessi then however Foss knocked me out, and before I could get back in, the facility exploded. Jessi tells me that she was able to escape the fire, the explosion cracked her pod open, and she was finally free. She then was attacked by a hunter as she approached his camp to try to get some food. She has an infected cut on her left side. After that she hid in a cave for about a week, and then finally hunger and thirst got her out, she was walking near the park, when I bumped in to her and knocked her down then I trip on her and fell. Our minds connected immediately and we were transported to our room. That is where our memories of each other and the pods returned. When we came back to physical reality, I realized that Jessi needed help. She was only wearing a dirty, bloody Jacket, her wound was infected, and she was so weak and dehydrated that she could hardly walk. So I carried her home. By the time I got here, all the family was in bed, and I did not want to bother you. The reason we were sleeping naked in my tub, is that Jessi was shivering and did not have enough energy to heat her body up, so I took my clothes off and lay with her so I could share my body heat with her. I did not think much about it, as Jessi and I have known each other's body since we were little, as we had no clothes in Zzyzx, we had no clothes in our mind either. Through the surveillance system we had also seen each other's body's in the pods. I do love Jessi, she is my soul mate. I would never think about disrespecting her._

* * *

When Kyle finished, he was looking at the Floor. He and Jessi were holding each other and were shaking, tears were running down there cheeks.

The family was stunned, sitting there trying to absorb all that Kyle had told them. Kyle was scared to look up, as he did not want to see looks of rejection on their faces. Everyone was quiet, trying to deal with things in their own way. Then Nicole raised her eyes to look at Kyle, seeing him in that state of uncertainty and fear broke her hearth. He had already been through so much in his short life. She immediately got on her feet and walked towards Kyle and Jessi. She hugged them both and cried with them. Stephen followed her lead, and then Lori and Josh joined in the collective hug of Kyle and Jessi. Kyle started smiling at feeling accepted by his family. Then Nicole told him, _Kyle you are our son, this is your family, there is nothing that you could possibly do to stop us from loving you. _Kyle looked at the only mother he knew gratefully and said, _thank you mom. _Nicole gave him a kiss on his cheek.

Stephen looked at the 2 children in front of him, he was very angry at learning that they had been terribly abused most of their life. Then he looked at Jessi and told her, _Jessi if Kyle loves you, then this family loves you to, you can stay as long as you want. If the rest of the family approves, I would like for us to adopt you as our daughter. _Nicole was a bit surprised at the reaction of Stephen, but it did make sense. She was even more surprised when Lori gave Jessi a hug, and said, _you know Jessi I have always wanted a sister, and it seems like I am getting one._ Jessi was sitting looking at every one with wide happy eyes, and had a big grinning on her face. Then Josh said, _I am going to have a pretty sister, _when Lori hit him, he said _I mean I have two pretty sisters. _Every one let out a laugh. Then Nicole looked at Jessi and asked her, _what do you say Jessi, do you want to be part of our family? Yes, thank you Nicole, thank you to all of you. _Then Jessi broke down crying, she did not expect to be accepted so easily. Nicole hugged her and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Nicole noticed that Jessi was burning hot.

_Kyle you said that Jessi has an infected wound, I would like to look at it, let's go to your room, _Nicole said. Kyle carried Jessi in to his room and sat her on his chair, then he got rid of the dirty comforter and blanket, and covered his tub with a clean blanket, he thought that he would wash his tub latter. Then he helped Jessi to lie down in the tub. Jessi raised the sweat shirt that she was wearing. Nicole gently took off the gauze that was covering her wound. The wound was oozing, and had a yellowish purulent substance on it; there was redness and inflammation around it. Kyle said, _it looks better than yesterday, when I first cleaned it, it had a green purulent substance and a putrid smell, and also there was more inflammation._

Nicole thought about it and decided that Jessi needed medical attention, she was so undernourished, that she was concerned about her not being able to fight the infection. She was also very pale. She then asked Jessi, _sweetheart how long did you go without eating? _Jessi responded _seven and a half days. The first time that I eat in my life was last night when Kyle gave me orange juice, soup and peanut butter. _Nicole was appalled. Then she told Kyle, _we are taking Jessi to the urgent care, I think she needs antibiotics. Thank you Nicole, I think you are right. _Kyle said looking relived. Nicole left to get the car keys.

_Stephen I am taking Jessi to the urgent care, her wound is infected and she has a high fever. Can you believe she went without eating for more than week! _Nicole said. Stephen responded, _if you had told me yesterday, I would have found it hard to believe. These kids have been through so much that is hard to understand. Why scientist would want to use children for their experiments, and leave them in those pods for so many years, just to take advantage of their brains? Stephen you are right, it is hard to understand. All we can do is to give them a loving family, a home to call their own, and help them as much as we can to integrate in to society. Fortunately enough they are extremely smart, and that helps them. _

_Nicole stay home and rest, I will take Jessi to the urgent care. I am sure that Kyle will want to go with Jessi, _Stephen said. _Thanks Stephen, there is some things that I need to do around the house, including cleaning Kyle's room, and throwing in a wash. Kyle is out blankets,_ Nicole responded.


	4. Urgent Care

Chapter 4

Urgent care

Stephen left Nicole to get the car keys, then he walked in to Kyle's room and said, _Kyle, Nicole is staying home and I am taking Jessi to the urgent care, are you coming?_ Kyle responded, _of course I am coming. I would not want to leave Jessi alone, plus I need to carry her, she is too weak to walk. Then let's get going,_ Stephen said. Kyle bended to get Jessi out from his tub, she had already fallen asleep. When Kyle lifted Jessi, she barley opened her eyes, she put her head on Kyle's shoulder and continued sleeping.

When they got to the car, Stephen told Kyle_, why don't you and Jessi seat in the back seat, so you can keep an eye on her. _After they got situated in the car, Stephen drove off to the urgent care.

* * *

Nicole POV

After Stephen left to take Jessi to the urgent care I decided I needed a cup of tea and some time to reflect. I took the tea to my office, and sat on one of the couches. So much had happened since we woke up. The most shocking was finding out that Kyle and Jessi had grown in a laboratory, and treated like experiments. In my profession as a clinical psychologist, I had helped many children and teenagers that had been victims of abuse. However none of it prepared me for the degree of abuse that Kyle and Jessi had suffered.

I was surprised that Kyle seemed to be doing so well. He did have some problems with social interactions, understanding expressions, humor and sarcasm. However he was getting much better at it, and he was a loving caring person, with a charming personality. I did not know much about Jessi, she seemed shy and insecure, and who could blame her after what she had gone through. Then I imagined her waking up alone and confused from her pod in to an explosion. Being attacked by a hunter, I could only imagine his intentions, after all Jessi was a very pretty girl. I hoped I would be able to gain Jessi's trust, so I could help her put her experiences in to context.

I also wonder if Kyle and Jessi could really be that innocent, that they did not think much of a teenage girl and boy sleeping naked together. I was not sure, so I decided to give them the benefit of doubt. I would however have to set some limits for them, even if they knew each other for 16 years. It would be best for them if they learned the rules of society for relationships. It appeared that their love was strong. I would not interfere with that. I thought that Kyle was right saying that having each other in those pods had been beneficial for them. I knew that children raised in complete isolation, often were unable to integrate in to society, and could not learn to communicate, they were called feral children. Kyle and Jessi were feral in some ways, however they could relate to other people and communicate well. The relationship between them had to be maintained, it probably would be important for the rest of their lives. Kyle and Jessi certainly were a challenge for my skills, and I always enjoyed a challenge.

Enough thinking I thought, as I finished my tea. I had many things to do.

* * *

Stephen pulled in to the urgent care, and parked, when he was ready to get out, he was surprised to see the old neighborhood guard Tom Foss knocking on the passenger window. Then he remembered that it was the man that had saved Kyle's life and opened the door. Tom said, _hi Mr. Trager is nice to see you again_. Hi _Mr. Foss, why are you here? _Stephen answered. Then Tom turned to the back seat and told Kyle, _Kyle I am terribly sorry, those scientists always told me that you were unconscious, and unaware. If I had known that you were conscious, I would have found a way of getting you out of there sooner. _Kyle responded, _don't worry about it Tom, you did save my life, that is in the past_. Then Foss turned to look at Jessi and said, _I am sorry for leaving you behind in that explosion Jessi. I did not know about you until after I had set the explosives. I was thinking of a way of getting you out when I saw Kyle and I had to get him out before the explosives went off._ Jessi responded, _I understand Mr. Foss, thank you for saving Kyle. _Then Foss said, _Jessi I want you to know that from now on I will protect you in the same way that I protect Kyle. _Kyle said, _thank you Tom, Jessi and I appreciate it. _

Then Tom turned to look at a very surprised Stephen and said, _Stephen, I am also here to tell you, that I will help with fixing the paper trail for Jessi, I have some contacts that will help me. I was thinking that it would be best if Jessi has a different last name than Kyle, and best if you are her guardians. Those two do love each other and being siblings, would put them in a difficult situation._ Stephen responded _I had not thought about that, you are right Mr. Foss. _ Tom said, _looking at Jessi and her resemblance to Sarah, I am sure that her egg donor was Sarah Emerson. I don't understand exactly how, as Sarah has been dead for about 18 years, I am sorry about it Jessi. I have managed to get this ID made for Jessi, and I used the last name Emerson, I hope is okay with you Jessi. _Jessi said, _sure, that is fine_. Then Tom continued, _I am working on getting a birth certificate, and then I will arrange for a hearing with a judge for you and Nicole to be named her guardians. In the meantime, it might be a good idea to tell the urgent care that Jessi is your nice, a daughter of a distant cousin that is living with you. I will be in touch with you Mr. Trager, to arrange a meeting with you and Ms. Trager, I am sure you have many questions._ Stephen responded, _Mr. Foss thank you for your help, I will look forward to that meeting. I do have many questions. _Tom turned to look at Kyle and told him, _you can take a week off training to take care of Jessi. _Then Tom opened the car door and left.

Stephen got out of the car, with Kyle, who was carrying Jessi. They entered the urgent care and went to the front desk. The receptionist gave them some papers to fill out and told them to take a seat, and return when they finished filling out the papers. Kyle offered to fill out the papers, however Stephen, said he would do it.

Jessi was seating besides Kyle in the waiting room, the TV was on and Jessi was watching it, there were cartoons playing, suddenly Jessi started laughing. Kyle looked at her and asked, _Jessi what is so funny? The cartoons, _she answered_._ Kyle was at a loss, he could not understand why people thought cartoons were so funny, after all they did not represent reality accurately.

In the meantime Stephen was with the receptionist, _so she has no insurance?_ She said. Stephen answered; _we are in the process of obtaining guardianship of my nice, as soon as we do that I will be able to enroll her in our insurance plan. _The receptionist said, _then we need a credit card, if you end up getting insurance that is retroactive to this date make sure to send us the information and we will reimburse you. _She then took the credit card from Stephen, and told him that the nurse would be with them shortly.

The nurse called _Jessica Emerson_, Kyle was getting ready to carry Jessi, when she said, _Kyle just help me to walk. I think I can do it._ Kyle did as she requested, and Stephen followed. The nurse took them in to an exam room, and had Jessi sit down. She told her,_ my name is Becky, I am the nurse that will be working with you. Jessica I am going to get your vitals for the doctor_; she proceeded to take Jessi's temperature, blood pressure, height and weight. Then she asked_, is Jessica here for an infected wound? Yes, _Stephen answered. _When did the wound occur? About a week ago, by the way she prefers to be called Jessi, _Kyle said. The nurse said, _Jessi please lay down on the exam table. I need to uncover your wound so you will be ready for the doctor. _Then she got some gloves on and uncovered Jessi's wound after looking at it, she turned to Stephen and said, s_ir, why didn't you bring Jessi for medical attention sooner? This is a large wound and is obviously infected. _Stephen had to do some quick thinking and responded_ you see mam, Jessi is my nice, she just came to live with us yesterday, when she got to our house she already had the wound. My cousin has never been a responsible mother, and I and my wife are in the process of getting guardianship of Jessi. Oh! I see, _said the nurse. Then turning to Jessi she said, _Jessi you are lucky to have an ankle that is willing to take you in, most children like you end up in Foster care or on the streets. Believe me I know from personal experience._ The nurse left the room. Stephen mentally thanked Tom Foss for giving him a cover story.

Jessi turned to Kyle and said, _Kyle I am scared, this place reminds me of Zzyzx with people wearing those white coats, and monitoring me._ Kyle responded, _Jessi believe me this place is nothing like Zzyzx, the people here are humanitarians that help sick people get better, and I will stay with you all the time. _Jessi nodded her head, however still seemed a bit uneasy. Then Stephen told her, _Jessi don't worry, I have brought my own children here, more times that I care to remember, and the staff has always been very professional and helpful. Besides I would not let anyone hurt you, you are my child now. _Jessi smiled at Stephen, and said, _thank you Stephen, I like being your child. _She desperately wanted to trust Stephen_. _Jessi then thought to herself, with Kyle and Stephen here I guess I am safe, still I do not like it.

The doctor came in and introduced herself, _hi I am Dr. Gonzales, and you must be Jessi. I am going to take a look at your wound. _Jessi nodded with big scared eyes. Kyle immediately held her hand. The doctor was in her mid-thirties, short, with brown skin, and black hair. She was wearing glasses. Dr. Gonzales then put on some gloves, and took gauze from a drawer. Then she proceeded to examine Jessi's injury, and gave her a quick physical. When she was finished she turned to Stephen and said, _I am going to order some blood work, and a urine test, I am also going to get a culture of her wound. She seems dehydrated, so I want to put her in one of the observations beds that we have in the back to give her some fluids and some IV antibiotics, I will also have a nurse show you how to clean her wound. By the way, how did you get that cut Jessi? _Jessi responded, before Kyle or Stephen had a chance to. _I was in the woods and a hunter attacked me with a knife, I was able to run away._ Then Dr. Gonzales turned to Stephen and said, _by law we will have to make a police report. We will also be taking some pictures of the injury in case you need some evidence. So if you approve the treatment plan, we will get Jessi in to an observation bed._ Sure doctor, we only want Jessi to get better. Before leaving the doctor told Stephen, _your nice is 12 pounds underweight, have you noticed any signs of an eating disorder?_ Stephen responded, _no doctor, we will keep an eye on her, my wife is a clinical psychologist, and if she notices anything, we will get Jessi some help. _The doctor seemed satisfied with the response and left the room.

Becky came back to the exam room and leaded them to an observation bed, then she told Kyle and Stephen to wait a minute, and closed the drape around the bed to help Jessi change in to a hospital gown, then she tuck her in. She opened the drape and said, t_he doctor has order for you to have some Tylenol, as your _temperature_ is 102.5 F, and she gave Jessi some pills and a cup of water. _Jessi was at a loss, not knowing what she was supposed to do, so Kyle came to her rescue, saying mentally, _Jessi, put the pills in your mouth, and use the water to swallow them. _She did as Kyle said and Becky seemed satisfied. Then Becky said, I have to get some blood and urine from you, so let me lead you to the bathroom so you can give me some urine. Kyle helped Jessi to walk to the bathroom, and Becky helped Jessi with the sample. Then they walked back, and after Jessi was tucked in the nurse got a needle ready and told Jessi, _it will hurt a little._ Kyle took Jessi's free hand and stroked her hair. Becky got the blood samples and started an IV, then she said, _I am going to get some supplies to clean Jessi's wound. _She returned shortly after, and teached Kyle and Stephen how to take care of Jessi's wound. Stephen had not seen the wound before, and felt his stomach turning at is sight. He was not one for taking care of wounds that had always been Nicole's job. He was happy when the nurse was finished.

After sitting for a while, Stephen said _it is almost 2:00 pm. I am going to go to the Subway across the street to get us some lunch. Thanks Stephen, I am pretty hungry, _Kyle said with a crocket smile. When Stephen left, Kyle asked Jessi, _love how are you feeling?_ Jessi responded, _tired and hungry. _Then looking him in the eye she said,_ Kyle thank you for all that you are doing for me. I think without you and your family I would probably be death by now. Kyle you are lucky to have such a nice family. _Tears were running down her cheeks. Kyle hugged her and cleaned her tears, then told her, _Jessi please don't cry, I hate seeing you like this._ Jessi responded,_ Is just that… that I am not used to people caring about me, other than you of course. At Zzyzx I was always the spare. _Kyle took her hands and told her, _Well Jessi, get used to it, you are now part of the Trager family and believe me you will be taken care of. _Then he bended down and gave her a light kiss on the lips, they were both surprised to feel a mild jolt of electricity going through them.

They were sitting down and eating there subways, when a police officer introduced himself, _Hello, I am officer Miller, and I am here to take the testimony of Jessica Emerson regarding her being assaulted in the woods, if you authorize me. _He said turning to look at Stephen. Stephen looked at him and nodded his ascent. After taking the testimony the officer asked, I think we need to get an artist to draw a portrait for us. Kyle intervened and said, _Jessi is a very good artist, I think she could draw you a portrait, right Jessi? Sure Kyle just get me some paper and crayons. _Kyle was able to get her some art supplies from the nurse. Then she started drawing and within a few minutes she had a portrait of the face of the man, and another portrait of him full body. The police officer was surprised at the quality of the portraits, and said; _we will be in touch with you Mr. Trager once we find the perpetrator. The picture's that Jessi has drawn will be very helpful, we will run them against our database._ Then he left. Jessi could not understand why the police was interested in finding the person that attacked her. She was going to ask when Becky walked over to her bed.

Becky started, _Mr. Trager, I am going to go over the discharge instructions with you, Dr. Gonzales has already send the prescriptions to Walgreens, so they should be ready for you to pick up on your way home. Let me get Jessi ready and you will be out of here in no time. _Then she had Kyle and Stephen step outside , and she took the IV off Jessi's arm, and helped her to get dressed. Jessi was feeling stronger, and the dizziness had left her.

She walked out to meet Kyle and Stephen. Kyle protectively put his arm around her waist, and kissed her on the temple. When they stepped outside it was raining. Stephen said, wait here for me while I get the car, when Stephen pulled up, Kyle told Jessi, _I am going to carry you, I don't want your feet to get wet._ Kyle then picked her up. Jessi thought it was unnecessary, but said nothing, she loved being in Kyle's arms. On their way home they stopped at Walgreens. Kyle was worried after he heard the price of Jessi's medications _that will be 650 dollars; do you have any questions for the pharmacist?_ The drive through cashier asked. Stephen gave her the credit card, and after getting the medications and supplies he drove off. Jessi having no concept of money, was not worried at all, she was feeling better, and was looking out the windows taking it all in.

As they entered the house, Nicole said, you are just in time for dinner, wash up and come to eat. After washing their hands the family had a dinner of mashed potatoes, baked chicken and salad. Lori had set the table putting an extra chair next to Kyle's chair, she made sure to tell Kyle, _Kyle I put a plate and silverware for Jessi, you don't have to share. Thanks Lori, _Kyle responded without noticing the sarcastic tone. Lori just rolled her eyes. Kyle then proceeded to serve Jessi, when Josh, saw the big serving that Kyle was giving Jessi, he said _hey man leave some for me, I am a growing boy! _Nicole and Stephen gave him a disapproving look and Lori said, _more of a trash can, I would say. _Josh then elbowed her_. _Kyle laughed, he enjoyed seeing his siblings being so playful, and including him in the fun.

Kyle filled the family in the details of the visit to urgent care, while they eat. Jessi was too busy eating to participate, her appetite was back. At the end of dinner, Kyle noticed Jessi had an empty plate and smiled. Then Lori, Josh, Kyle and Jessi went to watch TV.

Nicole and Stephen were talking in the office. Stephen said _the bill for the urgent care was 2000 dollars, and then the medications were 650 dollars. That is a lot of money _Nicole said_, I was hoping to buy some school clothes for Jessi. I guess that will have to wait, she will just have to borrow some from Lori. _Nicole said sounding disappointed. Stephen also filled her in the details of Foss visit, and the police report made at the urgent care. Nicole thought that Foss idea was a good one. Regarding the police report she said, _I am glad that a police report was filled, I hope they catch that man, he sounds dangerous. _Stephen agreed. Nicole and Stephen also discussed setting limits for Kyle and Jessi.

At the living room Jessi had fallen asleep on Kyle's shoulder, while watching TV. Kyle thought to himself, Jessi is still very weak, I hope she regains her strength soon, at least she is eating better, and the iron pills should help her anemia, she most have lost a lot of blood when the hunter hurt her. Going without eating for almost 8 days really took a toll on her, our metabolisms are so fast that I am surprised she is not more underweight. On the positive side a normal human being would not have been able to survive that long without water, but our kidneys can turn in to conservation mode, and that really extends our ability to survive in hostile environments. I better get her to bed so she can rest. Kyle gave Jessi a kiss on the cheek to try to wake her so she could get some PJ's on. He then felt a jolt of electricity, and the light in the living room flickered, the jolt woke Jessi up. Josh said, _what the heck is going on!_ Then went back to watching TV. Jessi communicated mentally to Kyle, _Kyle it seems that since I regained my water balance, we are conducing electricity through each other. _Kyle responded mentally_, I think you might be right Jessi, will have to think about it. I Kinda like the electric feeling, though. _Jessi responded_, me to._

Lori said,_ Jessi come to my room so I can loan you some pajamas. Thanks Lori, _Jessi said. Jessi was getting up, when she felt Kyle lifting her up. Kyle said,_ you are still weak, let me carry you up the stairs. _When they got to Lori's room, Lori said, _Kyle why don't you go and get ready for bed this is Lady's business. Okay Lori, but call me when you're finished, I don't want Jessi walking down the stairs. _Kyle said. _Just get out Kyle, I'll take good care of Jessi, _then Lori pushed Kyle out the door. Turning to Jessi, Lori said, _he is crazy about you, I've never seen him like this._ Jessi gave her a confused look and said, _I don't think Kyle is crazy. _Lori giggled; it was like having Kyle all over again when he knew nothing. Then she told Jessi, _what I mean is that Kyle loves you very much. _Jessi smiled and said, _Oh! Then I am crazy for Kyle to. _Lori turned to her dresser, opened a drawer, and gave Jessi some PJ's, seeing that she did not know what to do with them, she thought Jessi how to get undressed, and how to get dressed. Then Lori told Jessi, _I meant it when I said I've always wanted a sister, so feel free to wear any of my clothes until mom gets you some of you own. _Jessi answered, _thank you,_ she had tears in her eyes. Lori gave her a quick hug and told her _now don't get all emotional on me, or will both be crying._

Kyle knocked at Lori's door. When Lori opened the door, he said, _Jessi, Stephen and Nicole want to talk to us. They're waiting in the office. Jessi nodded, and then Kyle carried her to the office._

After every one was seated, Nicole asked Kyle to close the door. Then she started. Kyle f_irst I want to tell you that we are very happy that you and Jessi found each other. Stephen and I can see that you sincerely love each other. Jessi we are happy to have you as part of our family, will do our best to help you to integrate, and I am sure Kyle will help you to._ She paused and then continued. _Living under the same roof, and being part of the same family, brings some challenges to your relationship. Also being very special teenagers, with an unusual back ground, brings challenges in its own right. So to help you overcome those challenges, and to help this family cope, we are going to need to discuss some limits. First you are not to be naked in each other's company which includes no showers together. That is completely inappropriate for a young lady._ Kyle interrupted, Nicole but we did nothing wrong really. Nicole continued,_ Kyle I trust that you did nothing wrong, however living in a family implies respecting some social rules. Plus Jessi needs to learn what is appropriate for a young lady to do. Next I want you to be discrete in your relationship, no make out sessions on the couch, and try not to make others uncomfortable with what you do. Last, Jessi will be sleeping in Lori's room, until we get enough money to transform my office in to a bedroom for Jessi. Do you think you can live with this rules, Nicole asked looking at Kyle and Jessi. _

Jessi had no idea what Nicole was talking about, however she was willing to do what Nicole said, as she wanted to learn how to behave "properly", and she was very grateful to the family that took her in. So Jessi said,_ I can live with that Nicole, thanks for teaching me how to behave._ Kyle said,_ Nicole that sounds reasonable, I can live with those rules. I am very grateful to you and Stephen for accepting Jessi as part of the family, and for taking care of her. I just would like to ask you to consider letting me and Jessi sleep together for the next 2 weeks. I do not want to burden anyone else with giving her the medications at night. I would also like to have her eat a midnight snack, until she puts some weight on. We of course will be wearing PJ's, and we will keep the door open. Foss has cameras in my room any way he would tell you if we do anything inappropriate. _Nicole was getting ready to say no, however Stephen was faster, he remembered the missed sleep when they first got Kyle, and did not want to repeat the experience. So Stephen said, _that is a good idea Kyle, only for 2 weeks, and make sure to leave the door open. _Kyle said, _thank you for trusting us, we will not disappoint you. _There was nothing Nicole could do; Stephen and she always presented a united front to the children, even if they didn't agree with each other. She would talk to Stephen later.

Then Nicole got up and said, _Time for bed, Kyle you have school tomorrow and I am sure Jessi is tired. I cleaned your room Kyle and washed your blankets, so everything should be ready for you to go to bed._ Kyle said, _thanks Nicole. _Then Nicole and Stephen kissed Kyle and Jessi on the forehead as they did with Lori and Josh before bed when they permitted.

I appreciate the reviews, and suggestions, they have been very helpful. I used some of the suggestions in this chapter. Hope you enjoy the story. Please review.


	5. Going through the week

Chapter 5

Going through the week

Jessi and Kyle were lying in Kyles tub, with the lights off. They had the door open and Kyle had an arm around Jessi. Jessi was reclining on his chest. Jessi asked Kyle, _what is school? And why do you have to go to it tomorrow? _She was feeling quite uncomfortable about the possibility of being away from Kyle. Kyle responded, _school is a place where children and teenagers have to go to learn about life, it includes taking classes on different subjects, to be quite honest the curriculum is really easy, I mostly go to learn how to interact with others._ Jessi said, _I want to go to school to, I want to learn how to interact with others_. _Jessi you will be going soon enough, right now you have to concentrate on recovering. It worries me that I can feel all the bones in your body. Knowing Nicole she'll probably have you in school by next week. _Kyle said.

Kyle then added, _now that I think about it you probably should study for the placement exam, when I took my placement exam I knew all about math and science, however I knew nothing else and had to learn it right there and then. _Jessi asked, _so how do I study for that exam? _Kyle responded, _well first you need to learn how to read and write, that should not take long, it is much easier than the binary system the computers use. Then you can start by reading an encyclopedia. I'll try to get you one from school tomorrow. In the meantime maybe you can memorize the Webster's dictionary. I have one in my bookcase. If you want to you could also read all of my text books. I can leave them home; I really don't need them at school_. I think that should do it Kyle concluded. Jessi said, _teach me how to read and write now, so I can start studying tomorrow._

Kyle looked at Jessi and smiled, he should have known that she would want to learn everything right here and now, she was not the type that liked to wait. Kyle told her, _Jessi, it is almost midnight, and that will take about one hour, you need to sleep._ Jessi said, _why it has to take so long, if you say it is that simple, it should not take more than a minute or 2 for you to download it in to my brain, and then I can process it tomorrow when you are gone._ Kyle thought about it and said, _Jessi, I guess is worth a try. I really don't know if we can do it without a computer network, hold my hands and will see if it works. _Then Kyle closed his eyes and concentrated, Jessi did the same. After about 5 minutes they opened there eyes smiling. They said at the same time, _it worked!_ Jessi said _next time it should not take this long, now that we know what to do. You are right Jessi, now we really need to get some sleep. _Said a tired Kyle, then he remembered that Jessi needed to take her medications and eat a snack at midnight, and it was close enough that they just could get that over with and then sleep.

Kyle told Jessi, _wait, you need to take your medications, and I should get you a snack. I will be right back. _Kyle went to the kitchen; he poured a glass of milk for Jessi, made her a ham sandwich, and got a yogurt out of the refrigerator, then took it to his room on a tray. He found Jessi reading a sports car magazine from his book case. When Jessi noticed Kyle she said, _you were right Kyle it is really simple to understand this code._

_Jessi come over here so you can take your medications and eat. _Kyle said he was too tired to make small talk. Jessi came over and sat in the bath tub_. _Kyle gave her the medications, and then forgetting that she could feed herself, proceeded to feed her. Jessi did not complain she liked how caring Kyle was. Then finally they went to sleep in each other's arms, making sure the door was open.

* * *

Monday

Kyle woke up at 6:30 to get ready for school. He was careful not to wake Jessi up. He took his clothes and went up to the bathroom to try to be the first in the shower.

Nicole was in the kitchen drinking her coffee and having some cereal, when Stephen said, I have an early interview for a job this morning. I will get some breakfast on the run, then he kissed Nicole and she wished him good luck.

Kyle came down to eat his breakfast and thought he would try his luck. He said _good morning Nicole. Good morning Kyle _Nicole responded to a tired looking Kyle. _Nicole I was thinking that maybe I could stay home from school today. I know how busy you are. I could help taking care of Jessi. _Nicole smiled at the transparent attempt and said, _Kyle I am never too busy to take care of my children, and you are not missing school. _ _But Nicole I am doing really good in school, one day won't hurt me. _Kyle said in an attempt to convince Nicole. _Kyle you are not missing school, so you better brush your teeth and get going. I will take good care of Jessi, so don't worry._

After the children left for school, Nicole was catching up on reading some articles from a psychology magazine. Then she heard a scream coming from Kyle's room. She put her magazine on her desk and made her way to Kyle's room.

When Nicole entered Kyle's room she found Jessi sitting up with a terrified look on her face, and breathing rapidly. Nicole pulled a chair by the tub and touched Jessi's shoulder lightly then in calming voice said _Jessi, what is wrong honey?_ Jessi turned to look at Nicole and said _I had a nightmare. Would you like to talk about it? _Nicole asked. Jessi nodded her head and started, _I was dreaming about losing Kyle, it was just as it happened in Zzyzx. They removed him from his pod, and I lost all contact with him. I thought he was terminated and there was nothing I could do to help him. _Then she started crying, _I have never been in so much pain in my life as I was that day. Why do I have to dream about it Nicole?_

Nicole thought about it and answered, _Jessi when a person goes through a traumatic experience that is painful and hard to face, sometimes the subconscious, brings it up in dreams, to try to work through it. Maybe we could try to do something's that might help Jessi. Nicole I don't know if I can, it is just such a horrible memory_. _We don't have to do it now Jessi we can wait until you are ready. Thanks Nicole I feel better after talking to you. Jessi said. _Then Nicole told her_ go and get dressed, wash your face and hands, brush your teeth and hair, and I will get breakfast ready for you in the meantime. _Nicole intentionally told Jessi each step she had to take to get ready, as she was sure otherwise she would not know what to do. _If you need some help just call me Jessi. _Nicole said.

Nicole went to the Kitchen and Jessi went to get ready. Jessi entered Lori's room to borrow some clothes; she opened the different drawers, until she found what she needed. She did not want to use Lori's best clothes, so she was careful with what she picked. She settled for a pair of black sweat pants that were at the back of the closet and a worn out black T-shirt. She borrowed some socks, and put on Josh snickers, the she went to wash up.

Nicole gave Jessi, yogurt, cereal, milk, orange juice and some toast with butter. She wanted Jessi to put weight on as fast as possible. When Jessi was finished with breakfast, Nicole teached her how to wash her dishes and set them on the drying rack. Then Jessi said she was going to Kyle's room to do some reading. Nicole resumed her daily routine.

Jessi fell asleep while reading she was still very weak. Nicole made sure she took her medications as prescribed. Jessi woke up when Nicole called her for lunch. Nicole had prepared ham sandwiches, opened a can of fruit and they also had pretzels and orange juice. Nicole asked Jessi, _what were you reading?_ Jessi responded, _Kyle told me that before I can go to school I have to take a placemen exam. He left me his textbooks to read, and he also told me to memorize the Webster's dictionary. I was almost finished when I fell asleep._ Nicole told her, _I am glad that you are looking forward to starting school, because I have schedule a placement exam for you next week on Wednesday and you will start the following day._ Jessi looked very excited and thanked Nicole. Nicole thought that no other teenager would be thanking her for sending them to school, she laughed to herself.

Jessi was playing a game on the computer when she heard Kyle's hearth beat, she made her way to the door and waited. Kyle had been worried about Jessi all day, and missed her. Now that they had reconnected and recovered their memories from Zzyzx, it was almost physically painful to be away from her. He had realized that not having Jessi was the reason that he had always felt like there was something missing and maybe that was another reason he had been attracted to Amanda, but of course it would be impossible for Amanda to make him feel complete. He was glad that they were only friends.

Josh opened the door and threw his school bag to the side of the door; he waved at Jessi and went to the living room to play G force. Then Kyle entered the door and saw Jessi, he walked towards her and lifted her in a hug spinning her. Jessi returned the hug. Then both said at the same time, _I missed you._ Lori entered the door and said in a low voice as she headed towards her room, _you love birds, go to your room._

Kyle put Jessi down and they looked in each other eyes loosing themselves in them. They had big grins on their faces. Finally Kyle said_, Jessi how did your day go? _Jessi responded_, other than missing you it went well. I finished reading your textbooks and memorize the Webster's dictionary. I also spend some time with Nicole, she is really nice. How did your day go Kyle?_ Jessi asked_ Well_ _Jessi I was worried about you all day and I could not wait to get home to be with you. _Then he kissed her lips they felt the electricity going through them, there were no lights on as it was still early.

Kyle grabbed Jessi's hand and told her _lets go eat a snack, I am hungry. Dinner probably won't be ready for another 3 hours._ After they finished there snack, Kyle and Jessi went to Nicole's office where she was drinking some tea. Kyle told her, _Nicole, I am taking Jessi to the park. I think some fresh air will be good for her. We will be back for dinner. Have fun don't be late for dinner._ Nicole answered.

Kyle gave Jessi a piggy back ride to the park, they were giggling when they went past the Bloom's house, Amanda and her mother saw them through their respective windows. Amanda thought who is that girl that is with Kyle? Why is she riding on his back? I thought Kyle is interested in me. She would not admit it, but she was feeling jealous.

Kyle and Jessi were enjoying each other's company sitting at a bench in the park. Kyle had one arm around Jessi; her head was resting on his chest. Kyle was stroking her hair with his free hand. Jessi was looking at the children playing on the swing with interest observing all of their actions and the actions of their mothers. Kyle was looking at Jessi enjoying all her different expressions.

Amanda approached the bench where Kyle and Jessi were sitting. She was shocked to see Kyle holding Jessi, and seeming so comfortable with her. Kyle was to distracted looking at Jessi to notice Amanda approaching. For some reason that Amanda could not explain that made her angry.

Amanda stood in front of Kyle and Jessi, and then said,_ Kyle is she one of the charity cases of your mother? Because with those clothes she sure looks like it. I bet you she is also a mental patient. Why are you with her? You might catch something._ Amanda was surprised at what she said, but for some reason Jessi's perfect face made her want to hurt her.

Kyle was shocked at what Amanda had said, and the poison in her words. He had always considered Amanda a good person, with a big heart. After the shocked past, Kyle was angry, if someone attempted to hurt Jessi, they would have to face him first. He was not going to let anyone hurt Jessi. She had already suffered too much. Hurting her was like hurting him, it probably hurt more. He held Jessi as close as possible with both arms trying to shelter her.

_Amanda you cannot just walk up to people and start insulting them. _Kyle was surprised at the rage in his voice, but he could not help it and continued, _I have no obligation to answer your stupid questions. However for your information Jessi is my girlfriend and more than that, my soul mate. She is not a charity case; she is Stephen's nice that is living with us._ He did not mind using the cover story to defend Jessi.

Amanda could not believe the way that Kyle reacted. He had never raise his voice to her. In fact he had never been upset at her. Jessi did not like to see Kyle so upset and angry, he was much more important to her, that the pain the words of Amanda had caused her. She told Kyle, in a low voice, _I am okay Kyle, let's go home._ It was the voice of Jessi that helped him to calm down, he looked at her and the concerned look on her face, and immediately the anger left him. All his concern turned to her and to making her happy, he did not want to worry her. Kyle said, _Jessi, I love you, and I cannot stand any one hurting you._ Jessi responded, _Kyle thanks for defending me that means everything to me. Just remember that I love you more than I love myself, and I don't like seeing you upset. _

Kyle lifted Jessi in his arms and their lips meet, the alarms of the cars around them started going off, and they did not even notice, all that matter is that they had each other. Then Kyle walked away with Jessi in his arms. Amanda was standing with her mouth open in surprise and tears starting to form in her eyes. She had never suspected that the relationship of Kyle and Jessi was so deep. She felt like an idiot.

At the Trager's house they had cause for celebration that evening. Stephen had been offered a job at Madacorp and it paid very well, more than what his previous job paid. He would be starting the training the following Monday. After giving the good news to the family he and Nicole went out for dinner to celebrate. Nicole told her children that dinner was ready; all they had to do is warm it up. Little did they know that everything was orchestrated by Valentine and Emily. They were trying to get their hands on Kyle and Jessi to extract information from their brains. They considered them assets of the company.

Kyle had made sure that Jessi took her shower, her medications and then tended to her wound; they were both surprised at how fast it was healing.

Jessi and Kyle were a sleep, when they both emitted a terrorized scream that woke the family up. The family found them restless in their sleep, mumbling, and they both had sweat on their foreheads. Nicole and Stephen proceeded to wake them up. They woke up looking frighten and a bit confused. Nicole asked, _Kyle, Jessi are you okay?_ Kyle responded _yes Nicole we are fine_. Then Stephen said _why were you screaming? _Jessi answered, _it was a nightmare. So why were you screaming, Kyle? _Nicole questioned. _I also had a nightmare. _Kyle responded. Seeing that it was nothing serious, Stephen said, let's go back to bed. Nicole asked Jessi and Kyle, _would you like some tea to calm down_. _No thanks Nicole we are fine. Kyle responded. _Kyle and Jessi were so tired that they went back to sleep almost immediately.

* * *

Tuesday

Kyle was at school, he needed to talk to Declan, and bring him up to date on Jessi. Declan already knew Kyle's story. He thought maybe Study Hall would be a good time to talk. When he got to study Hall, he looked for Declan, and told him,_ Declan I need to talk to you. I'll meet you by the tree. _Kyle and Declan were able to snick out the back door without anyone noticing.

_So what's up man? _Said Declan. Kyle responded. _ Declan I recovered my memories from Zzyzx. What do you mean Kyle? You told me you were in a coma there, and that you had no awareness. _Said Declan. Kyle stated, _Yes Declan that is what Adam had told me, so I believed him. Remember when you told me to run away from the party. Well when I was running home, I bumped in to Jessi that had just escaped from Zzyzx, we were there together. Both of us fell in to a semi-comatose state and our memories from Zzyzx and each other came back. Adam lied to me._

Declan said, _so after all you did have amnesia, and who is this Jessi? _Kyle responded, _She is the love of my life, we have known each other forever. She is now living at the Trager household, as Stephen's nice. I would like for you to meet her._ Declan was surprised by the news, he manage to respond, _we will have to talk more about all of this later._ _I would love to meet Jessi. You are really in to her man! Meet me by my car after school and I will drive you home so I can meet Jessi._

Kyle was at the library accompanied by Lori, Josh, Declan and Hillary, the day before he was unable to get the encyclopedia for Jessi as they would only loan 2 volumes per person. So he had her siblings and friends help him, and between all of them they were able to borrow the full encyclopedia.

Declan said,_ I am driving Kyle home would you like a ride?_ He asked Lori and Josh. Josh accepted the ride. Lori said,_ no thank you Mc Dough, I am going to Hills house. See you later Trager. _Declan answered. After the boys walked away, Hillary asked, _what is Kyle doing with that encyclopedia? _Lori answered, _he is taking it home, for my cousin Jessi to read, she is kind of a super genius like Kyle. Now let's get going Hills._ They started walking and Hillary said, _Wow! So you have 2 super brains in your family. You will have to introduce me to Jessi._

Jessi was watching and old romantic movie when Kyle and Declan entered the house. Jessi was so in to the movie that she did not even notice that Kyle was home, until he bended over her and said, _Hi beautiful!_ Then he gave her a kiss. Jessi was startled and jump in her seat, then she said,_ Kyle you scared me, come sit with me to finish watching the movie. _Kyle sat and put a hand on her lap, then told her,_ Jessi I want you to meet my best and most loyal friend Declan. _Jessi turned the TV off.

Declan walked around the couch to meet Jessi and said, _Hi I am Declan. _Jessi did not know what to do. Declan realized it and said this is the part where you say, _Hi, Declan, I am Jessi, and then we shake hands. Oh! _Said Jessi and then continued, _Hi Declan I am Jessi, _they then shook hands.

Declan sat on the couch and looking at Kyle he said, _man what are you teaching Jessi? _Kyle responded, _she is getting ready for the placement exam, she has read all of my textbooks, has memorized the Webster dictionary, and she will start reading the encyclopedia that you helped me get from school. _Declan laughed and said, _all of that is good Kyle, but what about social skills. Do you want Jessi to be as clueless as you were when you started school? Seriously man, she deserves better._ Kyle responded, _I guess you are right, but I don't know where to start. I will make a list for you of basic social skills, so you can teach Jessi, _Declan said. Jessi was listening to Kyle and Declan talk, she was wondering where the encyclopedia was, that sounded much more interesting than learning social skills, whatever they were.

Jessi looked at Kyle and said, _Kyle where is that encyclopedia that you promised me? Wait here Jessi, Declan and I will go and get it, Kyle said._ Declan and Kyle walked out the door to Declan's car. Declan told Kyle, _Jessi seems like a really nice girl and she is gorgeous. Why is she so pale ant thin?_ Kyle responded, _when I found her she was in much worse shape, she had been attacked by a hunter, and she still has an infected wound from that. She had also not eaten in 8 days._ Declan said, _that is a lot to go through, I am glad you and the Tragers are taking care of her._

Jessi was sitting in the living room reading the encyclopedia, while Declan, Josh and Kyle were playing G force the living room to. Lori and Hillary came in and sat with Jessi. Hilary said, _Hi cupcake you must be Jessi, I am Hillary_. Jessi responded, _Hi Hillary. _Then they heard Nicole calling them for dinner. Nicole found out that she had two extra kids for dinner, so she sat them at the dinner table and her and Stephen eat at the island.

Hillary said, Jessi, _what types of things do you like doing. _Jessi answered sincerely, _I like being with Kyle and reading. Oh! How romantic. But what other things do you like doing? _Hillary said. Lori intervened and said, _Hills, I already told you that Jessi is a genius like Kyle, and she was homeschooled, so she does not know much about the world, she will be starting at our school next week. _Hilary said, _well will have to fix that._

Kyle and Jessi were finishing Jessi's movie, when the doorbell rang. Kyle got up and opened the door. It was Mrs. Bloom demanding in a loud voice to talk to Nicole. Nicole heard her and went to the Foyer. Nicole said, _hello Mrs. Bloom_, _how can I help you? _Mrs. Bloomed answered, _Mrs. Trager how many times do I have to tell you that this is a residential zone. Group homes don't belong in our nice neighborhood. First you brought that criminal boy Kyle from the detention center. Now you have that girl with those ugly clothes, one of your mental cases I am sure. I don't know what she did to my Amanda. She came back crying from the park, after saying she was going to talk to Kyle. Don't you understand that having your charity cases walking around the neighborhood, puts us all in danger, and decreases the value of our property? I demand that girl to leave, or I will call the police. _Stephen heard the conversation and was fuming, he walked in to the foyer and said, _Ms. Bloom you have no right to come in to our house and insult my family. First of all Kyle is no criminal he is our son and a very bright promising young man. Jessi is my nice more like a daughter, she is living with us, and has been sick, and all you can think about is insulting her? Go ahead and call the police Mrs. Bloom so they can arrest you, for coming to our house to verbally assault us. _Mrs. Bloom did not know what to say, so she turned around and left acting offended.

Kyle and Jessi had heard the exchange. Kyle was holding Jessi near to him. He was used to Mrs. Bloom, and did not pay much attention to her, choosing to only see her very few good qualities. Kyle was not sure how Jessi would react. Jessi thought about it, sure the words of Mrs. Bloom had been hurtful. However Mrs. Bloom called her a girl, and considered her human, not an experiment. It would be hard for her to get upset with some one that clearly acknowledged her humanity.

Jessi walked towards Stephen and said, _thank you for defending us Stephen. _There were some tears in Jessi's eyes. Stephen gave Jessi a hug and told he, don't cry, pay no attention to Mrs. Bloom, she is a troubled woman. Jessi said, _Stephen I am not crying because of Mrs. Bloom, I am crying because I never thought I would have a father to defend me, a mother to take care of me and a brother and sister._ Stephen held her for one more moment and then gave her a kiss on the forehead, and smiled at her saying, _I like being your father Jessi._

Nicole woke up to the screams of Kyle and Jessi. She walked over to Kyle's room and gently woke them up. Then she asked, _was it a nightmare? They nodded their heads affirmatively. _Nicole said, _try to go back to sleep. We will talk about it tomorrow._

* * *

Wednesday

Kyle was working on Josh car, Jessi was watching him. She had offered to help, however Kyle said that she was too weak, and needed to recover. He insisted on her sitting while he worked. Jessi hated not being able to work side by side with Kyle, however she listened to him as she did not want to worry him. Kyle did not know why he was feeling so tired, it was only 5:00pm.

Jessi noticed Amanda approaching with a tray of cookies. She said _Kyle Amanda is coming_. Kyle went to stand protectively near Jessi.

Amanda was feeling terrible for the way she had acted at the park. After all Kyle and her were only friends. Jessi seemed like a nice girl, and she was her neighbor now. She should have been welcoming her instead of insulting her. So she had baked some cookies and hoped that Jessi and Kyle would accept her apology.

Amanda was standing looking at her feet not knowing where to start. Kyle said, _Amanda what do you want?_ Amanda said, _Kyle, Jessi I am here to apologize, the way I acted at the park yesterday was uncalled for. I am sorry for insulting you Jessi. I should have been welcoming you to the neighborhood. I baked some cookies for you, and hope that you will accept my apologies. _Jessi cautiously accepted the cookies that Amanda was offering. Kyle said, _Jessi what do you want us to do?_ Jessi looked at Amanda and said, _thanks for the cookies Amanda. Kyle tells me you are the one playing the piano. I really enjoy your music. _Kyle said, _Amanda if Jessi accepts your apology, so do I, thanks for the cookies. Kyle some day stop by with Jessi, and I will play the piano for her. _After saying that, Amanda went back home. She was feeling much better, and thought that maybe she and Jessi could be friends.

Nicole called the family for dinner and remind them that Foss would be there at 7:00 pm. Declan was there for dinner, as Foss had requested him to be present.

Foss had arrived and the Trager family, Declan and Foss were sitting at the living room. Tom said, _Thank you for welcoming me in to your house, Mr. and Ms. Trager. I would like to thank you for taking care of Kyle and Jessi. They are the children of 2 dear friends of mine, Adam and Sarah. Unfortunately they are no with us any longer. I have dedicated my life to protecting Adam. I also protected Sarah before she disappeared. Now my mission is to protect Kyle and Jessi. They were created at Zzyxz. There long development in the pods, has permitted for their brains to develop to an extent that we do not fully understand at this point. I am sure they will change the world. Unfortunately, there are some people that consider them assets, and there property, and would not hesitate to hurt them. That is why I monitor the perimeter of your house and Kyle's room. My intention is not to invade your privacy but to protect your family, as by having Kyle and Jessi in your home, all your family could be in danger. _

_I have also been training Kyle to help him develop his full potential, and now I would like to start training Jessi. I don't only help them train their minds, but also their bodies, as if they don't have strong bodies, there mind will take a toll on them. Like Adams brain did to his body.  
_

_I would like to ask your permission to continue to monitor your house, and also to continue the training of Kyle and Jessi. I will also give you my phone number, and ask you to put in in your cell phones on speed dial, of that way you would be able to call me in case of an emergency. If you have any questions I am here to answer them._

Stephen answered; _you have made yourself very clear Mr. Foss, we know that you care about the wellbeing of Kyle and Jessi. I have no problem with you continuing to monitor our house, and training the kids. _Nicole said, _I agree with Stephen, I would just like to know where the cameras are located. _Tom said, _sure thing. I will show you where I have the cameras._

Tom then turned to look at Declan and said, _Declan you are a good friend of Kyle, and I know Kyle trust you with all of his secrets. That puts you in danger too. Since I don't think I am going to get rid of you, and you are always trying to help. I would like to train you, so you won't get me killed. What do you say Declan? Sure thing Mr. Foss, when do I start? You start next Monday. Show up at the warehouse at 4:00 am. _Foss said. Declan responded, _I will be there Mr. Foss_.

Josh asked, _Mr. Foss so are you a super genius like Adam was?_ Foss smiled, no I am not. I don't know how I ended being a friend with a bunch of prodigies, maybe because they were so lonely, and my mother always welcomed them in our house. But you don't have to be a super genius to be of help. My job has always been to protect the people that can change the world for the best.

Foss was getting ready to leave, and then he remembered to give Jessi her cell phone. _Jessi this is your phone, I have programmed my phone number, Kyle phone number and your home phone number. Do not hesitate to call me. Thank you Mr. Foss_ Jessi said. She was so excited to have her own phone. Tom turned to Nicole and Stephen and said. I almost forgot to tell you that I have the birth certificate for Jessi. I have also arranged a hearing for Friday at 10:00 am to name you the guardians of Jessi. _Thanks Mr. Foss we will be there._ Nicole answered. Then Foss left.

Jessi was taking her shower when she noticed her wound was completely healed, and there was no scar. After getting her PJ's on, she went to Kyle's room.

Kyle was at his desk and had fallen asleep reading a sports magazine. Jessi entered and said excitedly before noticing that Kyle was asleep. _Kyle! My wound is healed!_ Kyle jumped in his chair and said with a sleepy voice, _What? My wound is healed Kyle! _Kyle responded _that was fast, let me take a look. _While Kyle was looking, Jessi said, _Kyle I don't understand how I healed so fast. I had calculated that with the speed of our metabolism, I would be healed by Sunday, this is 3 days early. _Kyle thought about it and said._ I had the same result when I calculated your healing. The only explanation that I can find is that when we were sleeping I was contributing my energy to your healing. I have been unusually tired lately. _Jessi said, _you are probably right Kyle, will have to test your hypothesis in the future. _Kyle said, _I am glad that you don't have a scar. I am also happy that now your energy can go in to gaining weight instead of healing. _Jessi said playfully, _you are trying to make me fat. No, I'm not, _Kyle said and grabbed her by the waist in to a kiss, the lamps in the house flickered. That night they had no nightmares.

Thursday

While Jessi was waiting for Kyle to come home, she was sitting at the Kitchen watching Nicole cook. Jessi asked, _Nicole may I help you? I think I would like to learn how to cook._ Nicole said _that is great Jessi is an important life skill; to bad no one else is interested. I will be happy to teach you how to cook, and when you go to school, if you want you can take a culinary arts class. I am fixing a stew today, so you can help me to cut the vegetables, let me show you how. _

Jessi was cutting vegetables, when Kyle came home. He gave her a kiss on the cheek as Nicole was there, and asked her, _what are you doing Jessi? Nicole is teaching me how to cook, and she said I could start by cutting vegetables._ Kyle did not understand why Jessi wanted to learn how to cook, so he asked, _Jessi, why do you want to learn how to cook?_ _Kyle I went hungry for 8 days, I want to learn all I can about food, so that won't happen again. Besides it seems really fun. _Jessi answered, Kyle nodded his understanding. He then thought to himself, that experience was very hard on Jessi. I wonder what else might come out of it.

After all the ingredients for the stew were in the pot, Nicole said, _Kyle, Jessi lets go to my office I would like to talk to you about your nightmares._

They were at the office and Nicole asked, _would you like to share with me that nightmare that has been waking you up?_

Jessi said, _Is that nightmare that I told you about but worse. I am in my pod, and they remove Kyle, I loose contact with him, and I think he has been terminated. There is nothing I can do to help him. The thing is that I can feel it from Kyle's perspective to, I feel the terror that he was experiencing, I feel how he died, and how he was revived by Foss twice. _By this point Jessi could not speak anymore and started sobbing, on Kyle's chest.

Kyle had tears in his eyes, and with Effort said, _Nicole is a horrible nightmare, I am in my pod, and I know they are going to terminate me. I worry about Jessi and leaving her alone in that hell. Then they take me out of my pod, and Foss has to resuscitate me twice. The worse part however is that I can feel it from Jessi's perspective, I feel all her pain at loosing me, all her helplessness at not being able to help me, and then all the darkness, loneliness, and sadness that she experienced afterwards. I also feel her horror. I feel how those bastards, did not even gave her time to recover, before forcing her to start processing data, and how she just lost herself, and she let her brain just go on automatic. _

Kyle was holding Jessi tight and Jessi was holding Kyle. Then Kyle said, _Nicole I can forgive them for what they did to me, but I cannot forgive them for what they did to Jessi. It just hurts too much._

Jessi looked at Kyle and told him, _I would do anything Kyle if I could erase that pain from you. All I need from you Kyle is for you to tell me that you will never leave me and the pain will be gone. I hope that if my pain is gone; you can forgive those scientists and be happy. I don't want you to leave in pain. Tell me Kyle what can I do to take your pain away?_

Kyle hugged Jessi even tighter and told her looking her in the eye, _Jessi I love you and I will never leave you. Please Jessi never leave me, that's all I need._

Jessi gave Kyle a kiss on the cheek, and then looking at his eyes said, _Kyle I love you the same way that you love me. I promise that I will never leave you. I also promise that your happiness will be my first priority. _

Nicole was amazed at the way that they had handle things on their own, all they had needed was for her to help them to open up, and then they did the rest of the work themselves. It was clear to Nicole that they loved each other more that she had imagine, and that there love was much more mature than that of the average teenager, it certainly was at an adult level. Some adults did not even reach the point at where Jessi and Kyle were. It probably was because of the years they spend together in those pods, without having anyone else to trust.

Once they broke the hug, Nicole said, _Kyle and Jessi, I cannot even begin to imagine the horrors that you have been through. All I can say is that I am amazed at the commitment and the love that you have for each other. I am sure that will help you tremendously in your healing process. I want you to know that if you ever need to talk I am here for you. I hope that your nightmares will diminish. If you continue to have them let me know, and we can do some other things to help._

Nicole walked over to them and gave each one a hug and a kiss, and then left the room, thinking that they probably needed some privacy. After Nicole left, Kyle and Jessi simply held each other and cried in each other's arms until they fell asleep. They were emotionally exhausted.

Nicole did some crying of her own in the Kitchen. It broke her heart to know that her children had gone through situations that no child should have to go through.

* * *

Friday

It was Friday morning at the Trager's household. The kids have been allowed to stay home from school, to attend the court hearing where Jessi would become an official member of the family.

Lori and Jessi were in Lori's room as Lori was helping Jessi to get ready for the hearing. Lori had asked Hillary to loan some flats to Jessi, so she could wear a dress. Hillary had actually showed up to school the prior day, with a bag of clothes for Jessi, saying that she had been planning on donating it to the Good Will. There were also 2 pairs of flats and a pair of sinkers that were Jessi's size. Hillary had a smaller frame that Jessi; however with Jessi being underweight the clothes fit her just right.

Jessi was wearing a black dress, with a silver sweater, and some black flats to match. Lori had carefully applied make up, just enough to highlight Jessi's features, she had also straitened her hair.

Kyle was waiting in the living room, watching TV with Josh, he was wondering why it was taking Lori and Jessi so long to get ready. That is when Lori and Jessi entered the living room. Kyles eyes widened and he said _Jessi you look absolutely gorgeous_, _Lori you look very pretty to_. _Thanks Kyle _said Lori. Then Jessi and Lori sat down to watch TV. Kyle put an arm around Jessi, and Jessi put a hand on Kyle's leg.

The hearing went well, Tom Foss was there. The judge granted full and irrevocable custody of Jessi to Stephen and Nicole. The judge also terminated parental rights and any other rights of other blood relatives that might exist.

After the hearing Stephen said, _Lets go and celebrate with ice-cream._ So they went to Menchis. Jessi had never had ice-cream before, so Kyle took her around to try the different Flavors in little cups. Jessi decided to get strawberry ice-cream, topped with chocolate syrup and a cherry. Kyle got his all-time favorite, birthday cake flavor, with sower patch kids as a topping. All the family was happy that Jessi now was officially part of the family.

Nicole made a special dinner at home to celebrate. Jessi was beyond happy at all the attention that she was getting. Kyle was glad to see Jessi so happy.

* * *

Thank you for the reviews they mean a lot to me.

Thanks to JZhao for the ideas and for helping me out with spelling, I made the corrections suggested.

Thanks to mcaj, for the ideas, I incorporated some in this chapter, and will incorporate some more in the chapters to come.

You probably have noticed that Kyle and Jessi are capable of more emotion in my version of the story. The reason is that they did not grow in isolation or in a coma. They actually had each other, so they were able to learn, love, empathy and some other aspects of relationships.

I decided to let Amanda make a mistake in this chapter, however in the other chapters; she will be as lovely as she was on the show. However no romance between her and Kyle. I liked Amanda, is just that Amanda and Kyle do not belong together.

This is a long chapter, let me know if you would prefer shorter chapters.


	6. Getting ready for school

Chapter 6

Getting ready for school

It was a Saturday morning at the Trager household. Saturdays were generally a time to catch up on things and have fun with friends and family. Generally the family members prepared their own meals or eat out that day.

Kyle and Jessi were still sleeping at 9:00 am, and no one bothered them. It was Jessi who opened her eyes first. She did not want to wake Kyle up so she tried not to move, and continued to rest on his chest. She used the time to reflect. Kyle seems tired today, I wonder if he is still passing energy to me in his sleep, because I am feeling much better. If that is the case, it might be best if we sleep separately, I don't want to drain him out each night. I do enjoy sleeping with him, though. It has almost been one week since we bumped in to each other. I cannot believe how much has changed in my life since then. Just 15 days ago I was just an experiment, lying paralyzed in a pod, with no hope. Now I am with Kyle, his family has adopted me. They have done so much for me, when Kyle brought me to his home, I had nothing, not clothing, not health, I was starved and dehydrated. I did not even know how dirty I was. They get nothing out of taking care of me other than trouble, jet they do it with so much love. I hope someday I can do something for them.

It had been half an hour since Jessi woke up, when Kyle opened his eyes. Jessi said _good morning sleepy head_. (She had been researching different expressions and idioms on the internet) Kyle responded, _good morning gorgeous_. Then Jessi, gave him a light kiss on the lips, the mild electric feeling, helped Kyle to finish waking up.

Kyle and Jessi were at the Kitchen island having breakfast. Jessi was having Greek yogurt with granola and fruit, as well as orange juice. Kyle was having fruti loops cereal with a topping of sour patch kids, and a glass of orange juice. Jessi said_, Kyle the combination of 2 packets of sour patch kids, and 2 servings of fruti loops has a total of 96 grams of sugars in it, that is equivalent to 24 tea spoons of sugar, or 371.52 calories. The American Heart Association recommends that teenagers ages 14 to 18 should not consume more than 5 to 8 teaspoons of sugar a day. If we take in to account the rate of our metabolism that means you should not consume more than 20 teaspoons of sugar a day._ Kyle responded, _but I like it, it's good_. _Where did you learn that anyway?_ _I have been reading about nutrition on the internet, as I told you, I want to learn all I can about food, and proper nutrition._ Jessi responded.

Kyle changed the subject as he had no plans of abandoning his favorite breakfast. _Jessi, I was thinking that it would be fun for us to go to the park today and have a picnic, just you and me. We could also bring a basketball and I could teach you how to shoot hoops._ Jessi responded, _Kyle you are changing the subject, but yes that would be fun as long as we pack a healthy lunch_. Kyle said faking anointment, _Okay, a healthy lunch it is, I will not pack sour patch kids._

Kyle and Jessi were getting dressed, Kyle finished first, as Jessi was learning from Lori how to apply makeup, and it still took her a while to get it "just right". Kyle could not understand why Jessi wanted to apply makeup; to him she looked beautiful no matter what. He guessed it was probably a girl thing to do, and of course Jessi would not want to be excluded from that.

Kyle had finished packing a cooler, with their lunch, when Jessi came to the Kitchen. Jessi asked, Kyle, _did you pack a salad? No_, Kyle responded. Jessi said _it will only take me a minute to pack a salad in a Tupperware. I will also pack 2 forks. I have been helping Nicole with making the salad for dinner._ Kyle watched as Jessi prepared them a salad.

Kyle and Jessi were shooting baskets at the park; they both were just as good after Jessi got the idea of what to do. They were challenging each other with harder and harder throws, it was fun. Kyle thought that it was very nice to have Jessi, before he had no one to challenge him. He knew that Jessi would always push for them to test their limits. That could be annoying at times, but overall he enjoyed being challenged by Jessi.

At the swings there was a little girl about 5 being pushed by her mother Emily Hollander. Emily worked for Madacorp as the head of security and espionage. She had received notice from one of her contacts from the police about the report regarding Jessi. She had specifically requested the police reports checking for teenage girls between 14 and 18 that had been found abandoned or attacked in some way. She had requested reports for 2 weeks after the explosion of Zzyzx. She was disappointed that she had not been able to capture 781228 XX in the first place. However there was a bonus, they had found the primary asset 781227 XY whom they thought had been terminated. Now it was just a matter of capturing them, without anyone interfering. Fortunately the plan to hire the adoptive father of XY at Madacorp had worked, and now it was just a matter of destabilizing the family, and then capturing the assets.

Emily had been convinced by Julian Ballantine CEO of Madacorp, that Jessi and Kyle, were little more than biological computers without feelings, and potentially dangerous to society. They certainly didn't look very dangerous playing basketball, however she was not the genius, Ballantine was.

Kyle and Jessi were sitting at a table by some trees in the park. They were eating their lunch and talking. Kyle asked _Jessi, have you put on any weight?_ Jessi responded_, yes, I put on a pound since Wednesday._ _Kyle I was wondering do you think you are still passing me energy at night, or do you always sleep this much_. Kyle pondered about it, if he said yes; maybe Jessi would not want to sleep with him, if he said no she would know he was lying. So he said, _I really enjoy sleeping in on the weekends_. That was true, even if sleeping in for him generally meant 7:30 am.

Kyle said, _next week I start training with Foss again. He wants you to start going to the evening training, he says that even being underweight you need to maintain your muscle tone, and work on some mind tricks. That sounds like fun_, Jessi responded. _I am a little nervous about starting school._ Jessi said. Kyle responded, _don't worry Jessi, you will do just fine. Hopefully you can enroll in the same classes I am taking. I hope so,_ Jessi said.

They had finished their lunch. Kyle said, _I brought a blanket, let's go over by those trees, and we can lay on it and look at the clouds._ Jessi had never done that before, it sounded exciting to her. So she got up and started pulling Kyle to the trees. Kyle loved to see Jessi so excited, she had always been impulsive.

Jessi and Kyle were looking at the clouds when Jessi asked, _Kyle, I've been meaning to ask this for a while, why is the police interested in finding the hunter that attacked me? Why would they care? _Kyle said, _why would they not care Jessi? After all you are a young girl and society has an obligation to protect their members, especially children and the elderly. Also if he did that to you, he could do the same or worse to another person. It is their duty to stop him from harming others._ Jessi said _I did not know that I am a member of society. I was always an experiment before._

Kyle was thinking about Jessi's words and said _Jessi at Zzyzx they treated us like experiments. That was wrong. They had no right to do that to us. It was completely unethical. We are human beings and we have a right to be treated with respects and to be members of society, with all the rights and responsibilities that it implies._ Jessi said_, I guess it is going to take a while for me to think about myself as a human being. I will have to think about what you just said_. Kyle hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek and then said jokingly_; just don't say that to Josh or he will start looking for flying saucers around the house._ Jessi said, _why would he do that?_ Kyle responded, _when I first got to the Trager household, I did things that were so strange to others that Josh became convinced the explanation was that I was an alien from a different planet. He might still think that, but I have no plans to ask him._

When they came home they joined Josh and Andy at the living room, and played G-force with them. Andy and Jessi were in one team, and Josh and Kyle were in the other team. At the end of it Andy declared triumphantly _so the girl's team kicks the boys' asses! Good job Jessi!_ Josh said, _that's because Kyle was distracted looking at Jessi._ Andy said, _always making excuses you dumb ass_. Andy then gave Josh a Kiss. Kyle smiled through the whole exchange. Jessi observed the interaction and decided that she liked Andy, she would like to get to know her better.

It was Monday and Nicole and Jessi were shopping at Walmart for groceries. Jessi was fascinated by all the different types of foods; she had to touch almost everything, and was learning the names of all the different foods. She thought that later she could research the nutritional facts on the internet. She was surprised to learn that they were so many different types of lettuce. When they finished getting the groceries Nicole said _Jessi now we are going to get you a backpack and some supplies for school_. Jessi was so excited, that she hugged Nicole and said _Thank you so much, I am so excited._ Nicole had to smile at Jessi's childlike enthusiasm. Jessi got a black backpack, some notebooks, pencils, pens, coloring pencils, and of course crayons and a sketch pad.

When they got to the car, Jessi said, _I have never had things of my own before. Thanks for all you are doing for me._ The comment took Nicole aback; she would have to think about it.

Stephen got back from his first day at work at 9:00 pm, he was tired but happy. Nicole asked _how was your first day?_ Stephen responded, _there is so much to learn, I will be in charge of designing the software for a chair that they are designing to help victims of Alzheimer's. I think this is a job where I can really help to make a difference_. _Nicole said, I am so happy for you, it sounds like the job that you have always dreamed of._ Stephen said, _yes it is a dream job, plus it has good benefits and good pay._

Kyle POV

_I was lying in my tub reflecting on the events of the day. Jessi was with me her head on my chest; I had an arm around her. I could feel her chest raising and falling with her respiration. Her heart beat was like music to my ears._

_I had woken up at 3:30 am and I ran over to the warehouse. When I got there, Declan was already there. Foss was talking to him, when Foss saw me he told me to do my stretches and then to run 100 laps around the warehouse while carrying 40 pound weights on each arm. Then he continued talking to Declan, I could overhear the conversation._

_Foss was telling Declan that it was important to take training seriously. He told him he expected him to be there Monday through Friday from 4:00 am to 6:00 am and then again from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. He also told him that every other Saturday they would spend the day together going to practice on the field. He explained that they would be working on physical conditioning, self-defense and hand to hand close quarter combat. He would also be learning to use a gun and a tranquilizer gun. Besides that he would teach him standard police procedures, and strategies, as well as espionage techniques._

_I was surprised when Declan actually sounded enthusiastic about the training. The only thing I have ever heard him so excited about was basketball, however since he suffered his ankle injury he just was not the same player. He mostly stayed on the bench._

_Declan drove me back home and I took a shower and got ready for school. I was surprised to find Jessi up and dressed, when I went to have breakfast. She had my breakfast ready. I had Greek yogurt, fruit, 6 oz of almonds, a bowl of oat bran cereal with milk and a glass of orange juice. It was nice to eat breakfast with Jessi. I however missed my favorite breakfast. I knew better not to complain or Jessi would lecture me on the importance of good nutrition._

_After school I went home for Jessi and we headed to the warehouse. I gave her a piggy back ride, as I thought she was not ready to run. I noticed she had put on half a pound on since Saturday. When we got to the warehouse Foss had me do my regular routine, and he spend some time with Jessi figuring out where to start. Foss decided that Jessi should start by walking 5 laps around the warehouse, and then build up from there. He also started her on moving water with her mind, she surprised me by the end of the evening she was as good as me. Foss also insisted on Jessi drinking a protein supplement and gave her another to take home and told her to drink it before bed. Foss would do that until Jessi gained the 12 pounds that she needed._

It was Tuesday night, Kyle and Jessi were getting ready for bed. Earlier in the day Nicole had taken Jessi for a follow up appointment with the family doctor, and he said she was ready to go to school. He stated that she should continue the iron pills for another month and then go and get blood work. Regarding her weight, he recommended to have her eat 2 snacks a day, besides her regular meals.

Kyle told Jessi, _Love we better get to sleep; you have a big day tomorrow_. Jessi _said I hope I can sleep; I am scared to meet principal Hooper. Lori has told me he is mean. _Kyle said, _don't worry, I am sure you will do just fine. He is not even half as mean as the people in Zzyzx, and we made it there._ Jessi laughed and said, _if you put it like that, then I guess I have nothing to worry about._

Jessi kissed Kyle good night and they both went to sleep, tomorrow would be a big day.

* * *

I would like to thank Jason Z0654 for agreeing to be my Beta Reader, starting with this chapter. I also appreciate his encouragement.

mcaj thanks for following my story. I am glad you like it

Reviews, ideas and corrections are appreciated. Please review.


	7. School

Chapter 7

School

Kyle came back from morning training and went to wake Jessi up. Jessi was lying in the tub, her eyes closed and a peaceful look on her face. The scene took Kyle's breath away. He could not believe her beauty. He then slowly got in the tub with her, and took her in his arm, that was followed by a long kiss on her soft red lips. Electricity was circulating between them, and a couple of car alarms went off. Jessi was looking in to Kyle blue yes and getting herself lost in them. When they heard some footsteps in the kitchen they broke the kiss first and then the hug.

Jessi said, _Kyle you should wake me like that every morning._ Still lost in his eyes. Kyle said, _Love your wishes are orders to me, just promise that you will be here each morning._ Jessi finally was able to break her gaze from Kyle's eyes, and felt the situation was getting to serious, so she started tickling Kyle. Then she said with fake formality, _So Kyle if my wishes are orders, then I wish you to not eat anymore fruit loops topped with sour patch kids._ Kyle was laughing from being tickled, and he was tickling Jessi. Kyle then said jokingly, _that is not a wish that is torture, what have I done to you Jessi, for you to want to treat me like this?_ Jessi said half joking, _well for one thing you stole my heart, and now I want you to live forever._ They were eventually laughing so hard from tickling each other that they could not speak.

Finally Kyle said, _I need to get to the shower, before Lori, or I will have to go to school all sweaty._

Jessi had taken her shower the night before, so she got dressed in a pair of blue jeans from Hillary, and a top from Lori, and then she put on the snickers Hillary gave her. They were in pretty good shape. Nicole had told her that she would only need to take a couple of pencils for the test, so the back pack was unnecessary today. She put the pencils in the pocket of Kyle's jacket. Kyle had offered to loan her either his jacket or his coat for the cold season, until Nicole bought her one. It was already mid-January, so probably that would not happen until next winter. She choose the jacket, as she knew Kyle liked the coat best, it really did not matter to her, as both had the wonderful smell of Kyle. Then she headed to the kitchen to fix breakfast for her and Kyle.

Kyle and Jessi were sitting in the back sit of Nicole's car, and Josh was sitting in the front, speaking none stop trying to get Nicole to loan him some money to take Andy to the movie. Nicole knew best. He would just have to wait until he got his pay check from the Rack. That would teach him to budget, a necessary skill in adult life.

Kyle was holding Jessi's hand; they were both listening to Josh with interest. Jessi thought that he was determined and persistent both good qualities. Kyle could not believe that he just did not get Nicole's point, and was amused by it.

Kyle walked with Nicole and Jessi to Principal Hooper's office, then the bell rang, he gave a quick kiss to Nicole and Jessi, and reminded Jessi that he would come and get her for lunch.

Principal Hooper was waiting for Nicole and Jessi, and was as pleasant as always. He said, _Mrs. Trager you told me that Jessi is your niece and under your custody. There are no school records as she was homeschooled. I have had very bad experiences with homeschoolers, just because you insisted have I agreed to give Jessi the placement exam. In my experience she will end up taking only remedial classes. This is a waste of tax payer's dollars! But it is your right to have Jessi tested so we will._

Nicole responded, _Jessi is a very bright girl Mr. Hooper, so I trust her placement exam result will reflect her ability_. Mr. Hooper responded, _of course it will, you offend me Mrs. Trager, now is time to start the exam, be back at 2:00 pm so we can discuss Jessi's placement_. Nicole said, _I will be here Mr. Hooper_. Nicole then gave a hug to Jessi and a kissed her on the cheek and told her, _you will do just fine honey, I will be back for you. I will do my best Nicole_, Jessi answered.

Nicole realized that Kyle and Jessi needed much more affection than her biological children, they were starved for it. It reminded her of the time when Lori and Josh, accepted her affection freely and were not embarrassed by it. Now they were teenagers and were on the journey towards independence, she was proud of them. In Kyles and Jessi's case, their intellect did not match their emotional maturity, and neither matched their biological age. Plus they were insecure as a consequence of the abuse they had suffered at Zzyzx, it was more noticeable in Jessi than in Kyle. She was however keeping a close eye on Kyle as he had just recently recovered his memories; she was not sure what else would come out of it besides the nightmares.

Principal Hooper took Jessi in to the testing room and gave her a test packet that was marked 7th grade. He told her, _Jessi complete as much as you can and when you are finished turn it in to my secretary, she will give you the next packet_. Jessi responded, _I will follow your instructions Mr. Hooper._

Jessi started the testing, within 20 minutes she was finished with the first packet, the secretary handed her another packet marked 8th grade, and they continued with that routine until Jessi got to the 11.6 packet, where Mr. Hooper had given his secretary instructions to stop, doubting that Jessi would ever get that far. Jessi waited for 15 minute and then Kyle came to get her for lunch. The secretary said,_ Kyle, after lunch why don't you have Jessi shadow you for a couple of classes and then bring her back by 2, she is finished with testing. Principal Hooper is at a meeting and he will not be back until 2:00_. Kyle answered _sure thing, I will have her back by 2._

After they walk out the office, Kyle put an arm around Jessi's waist and kissed her. Then he asked,_ how did it go?_ Jessi answered _it went well, it was very easy, I finished 15 minutes before you came for me._ Kyle wondered what had taken Jessi so long, he thought of a way of asking without worrying her. He then said, _Jessi so how many packets did you complete?_ Jessi answered,_ I completed 6 packets, I started with the 7th grade packet and finished with a packet marked 11.6_. Kyle was happy he had been careful about how he asked, the reason was now clear, when he took his testing he only had to complete one packet.

When Kyle and Jessi entered the cafeteria, Kyle helped Jessi to get a tray, and then they went through the line together getting their food. After that Kyle guided Jessi to a table where, Josh, Andy, Hillary and Lori were sitting. Kyle and Jessi said, _Hi, guys_. Once they were sited, Lori said, _Jessi what did you think of Principal Hooper?_ Jessi responded sincerely as always, _He was nice to me_. No one but Kyle could believe what Jessi was saying. Hillary said _what do you mean by nice?_ Again Jessi answered truthfully,_ he did not hurt me, he did not stick any needles in me, he did not give me electric shocks, he did not inject painful substances in me, he did not cut me, he did not force me to do things I didn't want to. He was nice._ Everyone except for Kyle and maybe Lori thought that Jessi was joking, so they burst out laughing. Jessi asked, Kyle, _what is so funny? I will tell you later don't worry about it._ Then he put an arm around her and kissed her temple.

Kyle and Jessi were in AP calculus class, when the teacher wrote the following equation on the board:

Let functions f, g and h be related as follows:

g(x) = f -1(x), h(x) = (g(x)) 5, f(6) = 10 and f '(6) = 12

Calculate h '(10).

Then the teacher asked for a volunteer to solve the equation. No hands went up. Jessi wondered why Kyle was not raising his hand. Jessi knew that it was an easy equation that should not take him over a few seconds to solve. The teacher was saying _how is it possible that none of my AP calculus students are capable of solving this equation._ That sparked Jessi competitive spirit, so she timidly raised her hand. The teacher said _and you are?_ _Jessi_ she answered, Kyle said _she is shadowing me today. I really don't thinks she wants to solve it._ The teacher said _are you afraid that a shadowing student might be better than my AP students_. _Come to the board Jessi and solve the equation_. Jessi went over to the board and started solving the equation, explaining each step she was taking,

•We first calculate h '(x).

h '(x) = 5 g '(x) g(x) 4

•Which gives

h '(10) = 5 g '(10) g(10) 4

•g(10) is calculated as follows

g(10) = f -1(10) = 6

•We now need to calculate g '(10). Apply function f to both sides of the relation g(x) = f -1(x)

f (g(x)) = f(f -1(x)) = x

Which gives f (g(x)) = x

•Differentiate both sides of the equation obtained, using the chain rule to the term on the left.

f '(g) . g '(x) = 1

•We now set x = 10 in the above equation

f '(g(10)) . g '(10) = 1

•g(10) has already been calculated and is equal to 6, hence

f '(6) . g '(10) = 1

•g '(10) is given by

g '(10) = 1 / 12

•and h '(10) is given by

h '(10) = 5 (1/12) 6 4 = 540

When Jessi was finished she went back to her seat near Kyle. The teacher was saying, _see if Jessi can do it, so can you, I expect all the class to Ace the exam tomorrow_.

The bell rang, as Jessi and Kyle were walking out, some students were making upset comments at Kyle, saying. _Kyle now you ruined it for all of us, the teacher now is going to give us a harder exam, did you really needed to bring your genius girlfriend with you, isn't it enough to have you in class?_ Kyle just smiled at them; he did not think that they really meant it, he was generally well liked. He walked away with Jessi keeping an arm around her. Jessi asked,_ did I do something wrong Kyle? Your classmates are upset at you._ Kyle answered, _no Jessi you did nothing wrong, don't worry about it._ Jessi rewarded him with a big smile.

Nicole and Jessi were sitting at the office of principal Hooper. Mr. Hooper was saying, _Jessi is eligible for all AP classes in the 11th grade. Here is a schedule Jessi, we fortunately have space in all of our AP classes, do you know what classes you want to take?_ Jessi responded to the surprise of Nicole, _yes I do,_ and then listed the classes, it was the same classes that Kyle was taking except for study hall, Jessi decided to take an introduction to cooking class instead. Nicole realized that Jessi was picking all the classes that Kyle was in and smiled. Principal Hooper said _you start tomorrow; you will have a week, to catch up with all the assignments._

The Trager family was eating dinner, except for Stephen, who had called to let Nicole know that he would be running late. Lori was saying, I can't believe that principal Hooper had Jessi take a 7th grade exam. That is Hilarious. I bet you that both Kyle and Jessi could take college exams and Ace them. Josh said, and _that will go in to my Alien journal, not matter what Kyle says, I know that Zzyzx, must be a mother ship._ Nicole gave him a stern look. Lori punched him and told him to shut up. Jessi wondered, If Kyle and I are so strange that Josh thinks were are aliens, are we really human?

Lori noticed a concerned look on Jessi face and asked _what's up Jessi?_ Jessi said, _maybe Josh is right, I mean I know Kyle and I are not aliens, but maybe we are not human either._ Then a tear rolled on Jessi's cheek. Lori hugged Jessi and said, _Josh you idiot, I hope you are happy with what you've done._

Kyle hugged Jessi to, and was about to say something, when Nicole said, _Jessi of course you and Kyle are human, no matter where you come from or how you were created, I know because I am your mother, I know it as clearly as I know that Lori and Josh are human._ Jessi gave her a hopeful look, and asked earnestly, _really Nicole, you really think we are human?_

Nicole walked over to Jessi and gave her a motherly hug and then said, _Of course Jessi, you and Kyle are human._ Jessi hugged Nicole back and a big grin appeared on her face. She wasn't completely sure that she and Kyle were human, but it was nice to know that Nicole thought they were, maybe Nicole was right.

Then Jessi got an idea, and impulsively asked, _Nicole would you mind if I called you mom, it would make me feel like I am really human_. Before Nicole had a chance to answer, Kyle said, _What about me Nicole, can I call you mom?_ He had been waiting to ask this question for a while, however is seemed like he could never find the right moment.

Both Kyle and Jessi had their eyes on Nicole, they were hopeful, and a bit scared at the same time. They did not know what Nicole's reaction would be. Kyle wondered if they were pushing it too far. Nicole gave them a motherly look and hugged them both then said, _it would make me very happy for both of you to call me mom_. Then Kyle and Jessi said with tears in their eyes, _thank you mom._

Nicole sent Josh to his room for the rest of the night and he did not protest, he might think that Kyle and Jessi were alien's, but he also saw Kyle as a brother, and was starting to think of Jessi as a sister, he had no intentions to make her cry.

* * *

Lori's POV

_I was lying on my bed, thinking about the day. I could not help to think about Jessi. What would it be like to doubt that you were human? I knew Kyle had said they had grown in a laboratory. What did that really mean? What had they done to Jessi to make her doubt her humanity?_

_I wondered if she had really been paralyzed, given electric shocks, painful injections, experimented on, cut on, made to suffer, forced to do things she did not want to._

_I could not help but to ask if that had happened to Kyle too. Is that why they were screaming in their sleep? Would their nightmares ever go away? Would mom be able to help them? Was there anything I could do to help? I loved Kyle like my brother, and Jessi was growing on me._

_How would I feel if I had grown up like that? Would I be as strong as Jessi and Kyle? I admire, how they were able to keep going, despite all that had happened and been done to them._

_I thought I was lucky to have always had a mother and father that loved me, protected me and accepted me no matter what. I was happy to be able to share them with Kyle and Jessi. They deserved to be happy and to be treated with love and respect. I could at least do that much for them._

* * *

It was Friday morning and Kyle had a big grin on his face, he had beat Jessi to fixing breakfast. When Jessi walked in to the Kitchen she was surprised to see Kyle offering her a bowl of fruti-loops topped with sour patch kids, along with a plate of fruit and orange juice. He seemed so proud of himself. She could not help but to smile and eat the breakfast he was offering, at least he had included fruit in it, it was a step in the right direction.

Kyle was carrying Jessi's back pack and holding her hand as they walked to school. He had offered to give her a piggy back ride to school, however she said that she needed to keep her muscle tone and that school was not that far.

Jessi said, Kyle _I am happy that I was able to get in to the same classes you are taking. Kyle said, me too, it should not take you long to catch up on the assignment_. Jessi said, _if they are as easy as that math class, it should not._ _Kyle why didn't you volunteer to solve that problem yesterday? I know you are as good as me in math, I mean we spend hours each day for years solving much harder equations_. Kyle said, Jessi, _I just don't like to show off. I get straight A's any way. It is harder for our classmates, I don't want them to see me as different_. Jessi did not quite understand Kyle's response, and decided to just think about what he had said. She knew she liked to do as much as she could, and saw no reason to hold herself back.

Jessi spend the morning following Kyle around to the different classes, and getting introduced by the teachers to the class. The teachers also gave her the textbooks, and a list of assignments to turn in by the following Friday.

After lunch Kyle walked Jessi to the culinary arts kitchen, and then he went to study hall. Jessi was a bit nervous about not having Kyle with her and did not quite know what to do. Jeremiah noticed that Jessi looked lost, and did not remember seeing her in the class before, he walked towards her and introduced himself. _Hi I am Jeremiah, and you are?_ Jessi responded shyly, _I am Jessi._ Jerimiah, continued _you are new right?_ Without waiting for an answer, he took Jessi's hand and told her, _come with me let me introduce you to the teacher, and then you can be my cooking partner, as mine dropped out of the class._ Jeremiah was a head taller than Jessi, he had light brown reddish skin, his eyes had mild oriental features to them and the color was deep green, his nose was short, and wide, he had high cheek bones and a medium mouth with tick red lips. His hair was dark blond and curly, shoulder length and tied in a ponytail. He had a medium built and defined muscles. He was exotically handsome. He had joined Beachwood High this school year; he was an army brat, used to moving frequently. That had made him develop and extrovert charming personality, that he did not hesitate to use to his advantage especially with lost pretty girls.

Once Jessi and Jeremiah were cooking at their station they started conversing. Jeremiah said, _so Jessi are you new to the school?_ Jessi answered in a low voice looking a little frighten, she was not used to talk to strangers, _yes, and today is my first day_. Jeremiah, was studying her, he noticed that her clothes were worn out, and did not fit quite right, however that did not affect her beauty at all. He wondered what made her so shy, and why she seemed scared. He knew in those cases the best way to break the ice was to talk about him first and hope that latter she would feel comfortable enough to share about herself.

Jeremiah started; _let me tell you a bit about me Jessi. I started in Beachwood High this fall. I moved around a lot because my parents are both officers in the army. My sister is attending this school too, she is a senior._ Then jokingly he said, _She is as beautiful as I am handsome._ He then directed a seductive smile at Jessi and continued._ I think the reason my sister and I are stunning._ He said again jokingly and getting closer to Jessi. _Is that we possess the face of America._ He finished seductively.

Jessi did not know what to make out of so much talking, why was he telling her so much about himself? However the last phrase intrigued her and she asked. _What do you mean by the face of America?_ Jeremiah thought, yes! the fish is biting, and then answered. _I mean that you can see all of the different people that comprise America in my face, just take a look at me._ Jessi looked at him carefully, while he smiled seductively at her with a spark in his eyes. She did not know what to make out of what he said, and not wanting to ask a dumb questioned, just smiled back at Jeremiah. The bell rang and Jeremiah said, _Jessi if your need any help catching up with your cooking assignments, just call me._ Then he handed her a piece of paper with his phone number and walked out the door.

It was night at the Trager house Nicole was getting ready to go to bed, Stephen had called again and he was going to be late. She was starting to wonder if she would ever get to spend time with her husband, it seemed like lately he was always working.

Kyle and Jessi were at the living room watching TV and conversing. Jessi was confused about the actions of Jeremiah at cooking class and wanted to talk with Kyle about it. Every time that Jessi tried to bring the subject up. Kyle rapidly changed the subject. Kyle thought he did not want for Jessi to get more ideas, and then try to make more changes to his diet.

It was Saturday and Jessi told Kyle that she was planning to spend the morning catching up on assignment. Kyle asked Jessi if she needed help, and she said, the only thing she would probably need help with was cooking class. Kyle said, _Jessi I don't think I can help you with that, as much I wish I could._ Jessi then said, _my cooking mate said to call if I needed help._ Kyle told her, _then why don't you call your cooking mate, that is a good idea Jessi._

Kyle was getting bored with Jessi spending time catching up, he decided maybe him and Declan could go to the Rack for a while, so he called him and they agreed to meet there. Kyle gave a quick Kiss to Jessi, and told her he was going to be with Declan and that he would be back in a few hours, to call him if she needed anything.

Jessi had finished all her assignments by 11:00 am, she had ask Nicole if she could have her cooking mate come over to help her with the catch up cooking assignment. Nicole said that was fine, and then she needed to leave, as she was going to meet with a friend to see if she could start doing some part time work at the Juvenile center. Stephen was not home as he was called in to his job, for an emergency. Josh was working at the Rack. The only one home was Lori.

Jeremiah got there at 11:30, with some supplies to help Jessi catch up for the cooking assignments. Jessi opened the door. Jeremiah said, _Hi Jessi you look very pretty._ Jessi blushed and said, _Hi Jeremiah, come in lets go to the kitchen._ After getting all the ingredients, Jeremiah said, _let's get cooking why don't we start by making biscuits, while they bake we can make the sausage and gravy. Then we will make the vegetable omelet and lastly the fruit salad. We can make a little more and after you get the samples you need we can have the rest for lunch._ Jessi responded, _that is a good idea, les get started._

Once they got started Jeremiah asked, _so you live here with your parents?_ Jessi was not exactly sure how to answer, so she said, _I live here with my aunt and uncle, they are like my parents._ Anyone else in the house? Jeremiah asked, _yes my sister Lori, my brother Josh and Kyle._

They continued cooking and then Jeremiah asked, _so how long have you been living here?_ Jessi said, _I have been here for 2 weeks. Where were your living before?_ Jeremiah inquired. Jessi got a sad look in her eyes and was at a loss for words. Jeremiah noticed and said, _I am sorry Jessi, I should have not asked, you don't have to answer. Sometime I talk too much._ Jessi had to laugh at that, he did talk too much she thought. But it was nice to make a new friend.

Lori came down and without going in the Kitchen, said, _see you later. See you later Lori,_ Jessi said.

Jeremiah wanted to cheer Jessi up so he started singing with a clear and strong voice,

And we'll never be royals (royals)

It don't run in our blood

That kind of lux just ain't for us, we crave a different kind of buzz

Let me be your ruler (ruler)

You can call me king bee

And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule

Let me live that fantasy

ooh ooh oh ooh

We're better than we've every dreamed

And I'm in love with being king

ooh ooh oh ooh

Life is great without a care

We aren't caught up in your love affair

While Jeremiah was singing he was also dancing and trying to get Jessi to dance with him. Jessi smiled, she did not know what to make out of Jeremiah. Finally she ended up laughing. After eating lunch, Jeremiah got ready to leave. Jessi walked him to the door; impulsively Jeremiah gave Jessi a goodbye hug.

Kyle was walking back home, when he saw Jessi and Jeremiah at the door and then he saw Jeremiah giving a hug to Jessi. He suddenly experienced jealousy, he ran towards the door, and when Jessi tried to hug him and kiss him, he pushed her away. Jessi was at lost, why was Kyle rejecting her? Then Kyle started yelling at her _Jessi! I leave for a couple of hours and you make out with another boy? I cannot believe it! I thought I could trust you!_ He said accusingly and with tears in his eyes and then ran out the door. He did not hear Jessi begging him to comeback or crying, he was too involved with his own pain.

Jessi felt lost, she did not know what to do. Kyle did not even want to look at her or touch her; he was so repulsed by her that he did not even want to be in the same house as her. He was also accusing her of things she did not even understand. She was sure she had made a terrible mistake. She needed to leave; Kyle did not want her there. She took off running without even noticing that she had no shoes. Tears running down her face.

* * *

Thanks to JasonZ0654 for being my Beta reader and editing this chapter for me.

mc aj, I used some of your ideas in this chapter.

Songwriters

Little, Joel / Yelich-O'Connor, Ella

Published by

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing


	8. Running in to trouble

Chapter 8

Running in to trouble

Kyle saw Jeremiah giving Jessi a hug, and then he yelled accusations at Jessi. Kyle took off running and his feet took him to the Rack. He was not thinking clearly, it was the first time he had experienced jealousy.

Jessi was running tears falling down her face, she did not even notice that she was barefooted until she got to the forest, and a sharp branch cut the bottom of her right foot. She paid no attention to it, the pain in her broken heart was much worse.

Jessi had no place to go; unconsciously she headed towards the little cave she had hidden in after escaping the hunter. She crawled in the cave, sat on the floor, and brought her knees up to her chest, and then she put her head between her knees and started sobbing uncontrollably. She did not know what she had done to get Kyle so angry at her, but she was sure it was her fault. Had Kyle stopped loving her? The thought was too much to bear. All she could do was to continue rocking back and forth and continuing to sob.

Kyle entered the rack with red eyes and a conflicted face. Lori was sitting with Hillary, and immediately noticed the state of her brother. She called_,__Kyle come sit with us, what's wrong?_ Kyle walked towards Lori's table and plopped down on a chair. Then he put his head in his hands and started sobbing uncontrollably. Lori gave him a sisterly hug, and told Hillary; _Hills please get Kyle his usual smoothie, Amanda knows what it is._

With Lori's help Kyle stopped sobbing after a few minutes and then started drinking his smoothie. His head was starting to clear.

Lori said, _so Kyle spill, what's going on?_ Kyle said_,__I got upset with Jessi. Why?_ Lori asked.

Kyle had a hard time starting as his heart was still hurting. He managed to say, _Lori when I was walking home, I saw Jessi at the door, and a boy was giving her a hug. I got so upset, I ran home and started yelling at Jessi, and then I ran out the door and came here._ _Kyle you mean you left __Jessi alone. What were you thinking? We did not leave you alone until you were with us for at least a couple of months._ Kyle felt a pang of guilt at Lori's words.

Lori continued, _Kyle that was Jessi's cook mate. I heard you telling her yourself that it would be a good idea for him to help her to catch up with her cooking assignment._ Kyle thought about it feeling even guiltier, and then said, _but why was he giving her a hug?_ Lori could not believe how clueless Kyle could be she slowly explained_.__Kyle now tell me you have never gave a hug to your friends, what about hugging Amanda or Hills or Andy. That is probably all it was._ Kyle now felt stupid at the way he had acted. Lori was right he should not have left the house in the first place. He needed to get back to Jessi, hopefully she would forgive him.

Kyle took off running to the house. He entered the door and found Nicole filling out paperwork.

Nicole said, _Hi Kyle is Jessi with you?_ Kyle panicked, where is Jessi. He focused his hearing trying to find her heart beat. She was not home. On his way to the door, he said, _mom,__I need to go and find Jessi, I will explain later._

Kyle was running as fast as he could. He was not sure where to find Jessi. Then he remembered that when he first moved in with the Trager's, he had run away to the meadow where he had woken up. So he started running in the general direction to where he thought Jessi's cave was.

Jessi was still in the cave, she was calming down, she also started to get hungry and cold as she had forgotten her jacket. She thought she should go back home. Even if Kyle did not forgive her, she did not want to worry the Trager's. Plus she was planning to beg Kyle for forgiveness, maybe this time he would listen to her. She started crawling out of her cave, when she was about to stick her head out, she saw some men with riffles, dressed in camouflage attire. She was able to hear what they were saying_.__Mr. Cassidy said we would get a big reward if we bring 781228 XX back a life._

Michael Cassidy had a contact in Madacorp that had alerted him about Jessi and her location. He then had sent a spy to keep an eye on the house of the Trager's. The spy had alerted him when he saw Jessi running out of the house and heading to the woods. Then Cassidy had sent a group of former-marines that worked for him and his mother Grace Kinsley a powerful member of Latnok's board. Grace thought of XX and XY as her property and wanted to recover them.

Jessi remained quiet and still, all the military training that she had received at Zzyzx was paying off. When she could not hear the footsteps any longer, she peeked out and after studying the area she crawled out of the cave. She started walking and taking cover behinds the trees trying not to make noise, scanning the area with her eyes and listening attentively. She was trying to get away from the mercenaries.

Kyle was running in the woods, his only concern trying to find Jessi. He was so distracted in his own thoughts that he did not hear the steps approaching. Before he knew it he saw a group of armed men approaching. One said_,__it must be our lucky day, look there is 781227 XY, let's get him._ Kyle jumped behind a tree, got his cell phone out and called Foss.

The mercenaries were surrounding Kyle. He knew he had no other choice but to fight, as much as he dislike fighting. He jumped as high as he could on a tree, when he saw one of the mercenaries pointing at him; he jumped on top of him knocking him out.

Four mercenaries were surrounding Kyle; He managed to take one out by sending a magnetic field his way. Then he hit another one in the back of the head with a powerful blow. At that point he heard a shot and a sharp pain on his shoulder, involuntarily he screamed in pain. Aaagh!

Jessi heard the shot, and the scream. She immediately recognized the voice belonging to Kyle. She started running towards the direction of the shot, thinking I need to help Kyle those mercenaries have him. I need to run faster, I must get there as fast as I can.

In the meantime Kyle was still trying to fight; he was feeling weak from the tranquilizer dart that had hit him on his left shoulder. The mercenaries started shooting rubber bullets at Kyle to further debilitate him, Aaagh, Jessi heard. She knew it was Kyle; there was no time to waste.

Jessi now could see Kyle on his knees. She saw a group of 4 mercenaries surrounding Kyle. She approached the group using the trees for cover, and then she jumped on one mercenary, knocking him out with a blow to the head. Kyle saw Jessi and panicked, he needed to protect Jessi. Kyle gathered all the strength that he had left and was able to get one of the mercenaries to the floor by hitting his knees with his arm, and then knock him out with a punch.

The 2 mercenaries left started shooting rubber bullets at Kyle. Jessi jumped in front of Kyle to stop the bullets with her own body. The last thing Kyle did before collapsing unconscious was to yell, _No Jessi! Run away, don't worry about me._

Several rubber bullets hit Jessi, making her scream in pain. However she got up and started charging at one of the mercenaries, with the little strength she had left. She felt a sharp pain on her shoulder blade, a tranquilizer dart piercing her flesh. She still managed to knock out one of the mercenaries by placing her hands around his neck, and choking him until he was unconscious, and then she threw herself on top of an unconscious Kyle to protect him for the rubber bullets the other mercenary was still shooting. She then drifted to unconsciousness.

Back home Lori had filled Nicole in on what had happened, and they were waiting for Kyle and Jessi to come back home. Nicole was fixing dinner, and starting to get a bit nervous. What was taking Kyle and Jessi so long?

Back in the woods out of the trees 2 men appeared behind the mercenary that was still standing, one of the men shot a tranquilizer dart. It was Tom Foss, followed by Declan. When Kyle had called they happened to be together in a nearby spot, training. It was fortunate or they would have never got there in time. The last mercenary fell to his knees and collapsed.

Foss moved towards Kyle and Jessi, he checked for a pulse and told Declan, they are alive. We need to get them out of here fast, in case they send reinforcements.

Declan was carrying Jessi and Foss was carrying Kyle. They got to the cars, and Foss said,_ Declan let's get Kyle and Jessi in your car_. Declan flatten the back seat of his SUV, and they were able to fit Kyle and Jessi in the back, lying next to each other. Foss got a blanket out of his truck and threw it on them to try to prevent hypothermia.

Then Foss said, Declan start driving these kids home, _I will call Nicole to let her know that you will be getting there soon. Declan it's important to keep Kyle and Jessi together, as they are stronger the closer they are together._ Foss thought that if they were anything like Adam and Sarah, that would be the case. _Under no circumstances are you to take them to the hospital. It would be very hard to protect them in that type of environment. I am going back to get the man I shot with the tranquilizer gun, after I drop him at the warehouse, I will see you at the Trager's._

Declan was pulling in to the drive way of the Trager house. He saw Nicole, Lori and Josh waiting by the door. He parked and got out of the car. Declan opened the back of the SUV to get Jessi and Kyle out. Nicole approached and said, _Declan, what happened? Shouldn't they be at a hospital?_ Declan responded_,__Foss said they only need rest, and not to take them to the hospital, as it would be almost impossible to protect them there._ Nicole responded_,__I have some blankets on the floor of the family room we can put them there_; _Foss said it was important to keep them together._

Declan carried Jessi first and put her on the blankets. Then between Declan and Josh, they managed to get Kyle to the blankets. Nicole noticed that their clothes were wet and both of them were covered in mud. With Lori's help she managed to take Jessi's wet clothes off, and they dressed her in fresh pajamas. Then with Josh and Declan's help they did the same for Kyle.

Nicole was horrified, when she saw the multiple bruises and welts on her children's bodies. Each one of them also had a piercing on their skin with some blood on it, from the tranquilizer dart. One of Kyle's eyes was swelling up and had an ugly bruise on it. Jessi's right cheek was swollen and bruised; she also had a small cut on the bottom of her right foot. Both of them were clammy.

Lori went and got more blankets to cover Jessi and Kyle. Nicole got some wash cloths and warm water, and started cleaning the mud off their faces. After that she cleaned the cuts and Jessi's foot, and then she applied antibiotic ointment on the wounds. Josh got some ice and put it in 2 zip bags, and applied it to Kyle's swollen eye and Jessi's cheek.

At that time Stephen walked in and said, _hi, where is every one?_ Nicole approached him, gave him a hug and started crying on his shoulder, saying _Stephen, Kyle and Jessi were attacked, they are in bad shapes._ Stephen started caressing Nicole's hair. He then asked, _where are they?_ Nicole composed herself and took him to the family room.

Stephen took a look at them and said, _we should take them to the hospital._ At that point they heard the doorbell, it was Tom Foss. He asked, _how are Kyle and Jessi doing?_ Without waiting for an answer, he went in to the family room and checked on them himself.

Stephen said, _Mr. Foss, we should take them to a hospital._ Foss replied, _we can't the people that are after them are very powerful, it would be impossible to protect them at a hospital._

Nicole said_,__Mr. Foss can you explain to us, what is going on?._ Foss took a deep breath and sat at one of the couches, he started explaining_,__I am not exactly sure how all of this started. I got a call from Kyle asking for help, Declan and I were nearby so we rushed over; we got there just in time. Jessi and Kyle had put up a good fight, they disabled 7 of their opponents, but they collapsed before getting the last one. I was able to shoot him with a tranquilizer dart. Then we got Kyle and Jessi to Declan's SUV, and I went back to try to retrieve the man that I had shot for later interrogation. However by the time I got there, there was another group killing the mercenaries and putting them in body bags, and then they loaded them in to a van and took off. I believe there are at least 2 groups competing to get Kyle and Jessi, we got lucky this time, as one group took the other out. I will have to investigate further to see if I can determine who is behind the groups._

_What do we do now?_asked Stephen. _I am going to spend the next 24 hrs. in your house protecting your family. After that I will go back to the warehouse and use the surveillance system and see what I can find out.__No one in the house should leave until we are sure, there is not going to be a direct attack. I hope by then Kyle and Jessi will be well enough to be your first line of defence._

He turned to Declan and said, Declan do you think you can stay for the next 24 hrs in case I need you_. Sure thing Mr. Foss _Declan answered_.__Do you need to call your family to let them know?_Asked Foss. _No, my father would not notice if I was gone for months, and I have not heard from my mother in years._ Declan said sadly. Foss nodded in understanding.

Nicole asked_,__what exactly happened to Kyle and Jessi? Why are they unconscious and full of bruises?_

Foss thought that Nicole deserved an answer, but it would be hard to explain to a mother, so he just went to the point, _They were shot with tranquilizer darts and rubber bullets. They also sustained some injuries from hand to hand combat. All they need now is rest and time to metabolize the drugs. When they wake up they will need juice or Gatorade, and high energy food. Now does anyone know what they were doing out there?_

Lori answered_,__They had a romantic misunderstanding, they both ran away from each other. When Kyle realized that it was all a misunderstanding he went after Jessi._

_Stupid Kids, they almost got themselves kidnapped._ Foss said, however internally he was happy they loved each other, he just hoped they would not end up like Sarah and Adam.

Nicole said_,__I have diner ready, we are having spaghetti, salad and garlic bread_. Everyone went to get some dinner, except for Foss who said he would keep an eye on Jessi and Kyle. Nicole brought him over a plate that he accepted.

Over at Madacorp a very angry Emily was yelling, _you idiots, did I not tell you to bring at least one alive for interrogation? Now we don't know who mounted this attack. Just get out of my face before I fire you all bunch of inept's_ Emily thought Mr. Ballantine is not going to be happy. I am going to have to send a spy to keep an eye on the assets, until it is time to capture them. I can't take any more chances.

Nicole was sleeping on the couch to keep an eye on Kyle and Jessi. Declan was monitoring the entrances to the house, including windows from a computer Foss had brought. Foss was outside guarding the perimeter, and looking for anything suspicious.

Kyle slowly regained consciousness, the first thing he felt was pain coming from every inch of his body. His first word was _Jessi! Jessi! Where are you?_ Nicole woke up and kneeled by Kyle, she told him, _Jessi is right here with you son._ Kyle turned his head with difficulty and saw Jessi lying by his side, with difficulty and ignoring the pain he put an arm around her and kissed her cheek, tears running down his face. Then he said_,__I am so sorry Jessi this is entirely my fault, I should have never left you alone or yelled at you. Despite all you were still there for me fighting by my side, protecting me with your own body, when I did not deserve it. Please forgive me Jessi._

Kyle knew Jessi was still unconscious, but he just had to say it. Then he turned to Nicole and said, _Mom, I am sorry. I acted like an idiot, and put everyone that I love in danger_. Nicole hugged Kyle, wishing she could shield him from a world that was so cruel to him. Then she said, _everything is going to be fine Kyle, you just need to rest. I am going to get you some orange juice, you must be thirsty._

Nicole brought over some orange juice with a straw, and helped Kyle to drink some; he still had problems controlling his muscles. Kyle laid there looking at Jessi, he felt so guilty when he saw Jessi had a bruised and swollen cheek. He knew Jessi got it defending him, trying to shield him.

A couple of hours later, Jessi emitted an painful _Aaagh!,_ she was starting to wake up, every inch of her body hurting. Kyle looked at her with concern. Then Jessi said, _Kyle! Where are you? Kyle! I am here love_, Kyle responded. Jessi turn to look at him relieved by seeing him. Then she remembered she had to apologize. She started _Kyle please forgive_… She could not continue as Kyle had his mouth over hers, hoping Nicole was asleep. After breaking the kiss Kyle said, _Jessi please don't apologize. It is entirely my fault. I should have never got upset with you. I am an idiot. I am the one that needs to beg you for_….Jessi put a finger on his lips and said, _Kyle no need to apologize, I am just happy you are safe. I was so scared when I heard you screaming. I don't ever want to be without you again_. She said remembering her time at Zzyzx. They hugged each other tightly, until it was hard to tell one from the other, they ignored the pain and comforted each other.

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Again I would like to thank JasonZ0645, for helping me to edit my story. He also helped me to learn about the military, to make the story better.

Mcaj hope you like this chapter

I appreciates the reviews. Please review.


	9. Grounded

_Chapter 9 _

_Grounded_

It was Sunday morning, and Stephen was making breakfast. He was good at making pancakes, and bacon. He also had the coffee brewing. He took a cup to Declan who had been up all night looking at the monitor.

Stephen said,_ Good morning Declan, I thought some coffee would do you good._

_Thanks Mr. Trager, I really need it. _Declan responded. He had red eyes but had not fallen asleep.

Nicole was sleeping in the living room couch,tired from helping Kyle and Jessi drink orange juice during the night. Kyle and Jessi were sleeping, in each other's arms.

Josh and Lori were sleeping in as it was usual on Sundays.

Tom Foss came in and said to Declan,_ Hey kid go and get some sleep. Hi Mr. Foss _Declan replied, _I think I will eat some breakfast first. Go ahead_ Foss said. Tom thought to himself that Declan had proved himself to be committed; he still needed a lot more training but they will get through it.

Declan walked in to the Kitchen and Stephen said, _you are just in time Declan to get the first batch, help yourself. Thanks, _Declan replied and helped himself. Stephen said, _I am the one that needs to thank you for helping this family. _Declan said_, no worries._ Stephen had never liked Declan. He thought to himself that perhaps he had been too fast in his judgment. Declan seemed like a responsible nice kid.

Stephen fixed a couple of plates and 2 cups of coffee and walked towards the dining table where Foss was keeping an eye on the monitor. He placed a plate and a cup in front of Foss and then sat the other plate and cup in front of himself and started eating.

Stephen then asked, _Mr. Foss would you like cream or sugar? Call me Tom and no I like my coffee black. Thanks for breakfast Mr. Trager. _Stephen replied,_ call me Stephen and it is the least that I can do after you saved my children. _Foss smiled at Stephen calling Kyle and Jessi his children; he could understand why Kyle had wanted to return to the Trager's as they truly consider him a son. It was good that they thought of Jessi as theirs too. Those children truly needed a family, and while he would have taken care of them if it came to it. He knew he could not give them a true home. He was better at protecting them. If they just would cooperate a little he thought. But they were teenagers.

Stephen asked, _Tom how did you know that Kyle and Jessi would eventually face danger?_

Tom thought about it and decided he could trust Stephen, as he cared for the kids as much as he did._ The amount of money and time that was spent in creating Kyle and Jessi makes them an irreplaceable asset for all the parties that invested in Zzyzx. I believe Zzyzx idea of terminating Kyle was not run by the investors._

_The people that are trying to capture Kyle and Jessi see them only as an investment, and experiments. They want them to test them, and see if they should create more people like them. They are curious at what the limit of their intelligence and physical abilities will be. They believe they could patent them and then create more to sell to different groups that might be interested to use them either as powerful biological computers or for any other propose that they might see fit._

Stephen was trying to understand all that Foss was saying. It was clear to him that Kyle and Jessi were human beings and therefore could not belong to anyone and could not be patented as if they were products. It sounded that whoever these scientist were, they were attempting to create a new form of slavery. He wondered if they were so involved in science that they had lost perspective of what they were attempting to do.

Stephen said_, Thanks for explaining Tom that is a lot to take in. It makes me angry that they just cannot leave Kyle and Jessi alone. They are just children._

Foss nodded in acknowledgment, and continued to eat and look at the monitor. He thought he had made the right choice in trusting Stephen.

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Tom Foss POV

_Stephen's question brought a lot of thoughts to my mind._

_I remembered that after Adam was thrown out of Zzyzx 14 years ago for trying to remove Kyle from his pod. He asked me to look after Kyle and keep him informed. So I spend 14 years as Kyle's personal guard. I was always made to believe by the scientist at Zzyzx and Adam himself that Kyle was unconscious. Regardless I still played music for him and read him age appropriate stories, sometimes I thought that I had lost it. But now it seems like it was the right thing to do .I wish I could have done more for him._

_When Kyle started rebelling against Zzyzx he was schedule for termination. I was beyond angry when that happened. They were trying to kill the kid I was protecting. So after he was removed from his pod, I resuscitated him twice and got him out of there. I had to leave him in the woods for a little while, to take care of some business. When I came back he was gone. I found him and continued to protect him secretly. I don't believe in destiny, but it sure seems he was destined to be part of the Trager family._

_I bombed Zzyzx because I knew they still wanted to terminate Kyle, and I believed they were involved in the attempt against Adam. I did not know about Jessi until then. I regret not taking time to get her out. I am happy she made it and that Kyle found her. I really hope that she can trust me. She reminds me so much of Sarah._

_I want to protect Kyle and Jessi, I think if they are given a chance they can change the world for the better. Then of course you cannot spend 14 years of your life taking care of a child and not love the child._

_Before protecting Kyle I worked protecting Adam and Sarah. They were also a result from an experiment; their gestation was 13 months that made them incredibly smart. I just wish I would have not failed them. Now I cannot fail their children._

* * *

After finishing his breakfast, Declan went to look for a place to sleep. Lori was coming down the stairs. Declan said, _morning Trager._ Lori answered, _morning Declan, you look terrible, go get some sleep, you can use my room. Thanks Trager, I'll do that, and thanks for the encouragement. _Lori responded, _I did not know you to be sensitive._

Lori entered the Kitchen and Stephen told her, _I will be there in a minute to cook more pancakes. _

_Thanks dad, _Lori responded.

Stephen was cooking a fresh batch of pancakes and beacon when a tired looking Nicole entered the Kitchen and gave him a kiss.

Stephen asked, _how did the night go? _Then handed Nicole a cup of coffee.

Nicole answered in a tired voice,_ as well as can be expected. They were up a few times and drank some juice. They also were moaning a bit at night. They appear to be in pain. Stephen, these pancakes are delicious. Did your get a new recipe?_

_Sweetheart you are just very hungry it's my usual recipe, right off the box. _Stephen replied with a smile._ By the way how did your meeting with Lou go?_

_It went well Stephen; he wants me back at the juvenile detention center and understands it will be on a part time basis only. I really want to spend time with the children, they are growing so fast, and Kyle and Jessi really need me. I was going to start tomorrow; I will call Lou and let him know that I will start on Wednesday instead. I am sure it will not be a problem._ Nicole replied.

Stephen said, _Nicole, we all need you not just Jessi and Kyle, even if I have to admit that they probably need you more._ Stephen was hoping Nicole would not find more strays to bring home; she had such a big heart. That was part of the reason he fell in love with her.

Lori was sitting in the living room reading a magazine while keeping an eye on Kyle and Jessi. Kyle opened his eyes and said, _Hi Lori. Well Hi Kyle, you really got yourself beaten up. _Lori replied. The noise woke Jessi up and she opened her eyes and said, _Hi Kyle, Hi Lori._ Kyle kissed her cheek. Lori said, _Hi Jessi, what did this brut do to get you all beaten up. _Jessi appeared confused at the question and then said, _Kyle did nothing it was a group of mercenaries._ Lori laughed, Jessi did not know what was so funny, but smiled at Lori.

Kyle said, _Jessi you hungry? Because I am starving. I am starving too Kyle, _Jessi replied, and tried to sit up. The pain was to strong so she laid back. She was determined however. She rolled on her belly and then went on all four, she got close to the couch and started lifting herself up. She wanted to stand up, but had to stop as she felt very dizzy, so she just sat on the couch.

Kyle was observing Jessi, and decided he needed to get up too. So he used the same technique Jessi used. He did not expect it to be that painful, Jessi had not even complained. He wondered if maybe he could stand up, however he was dizzy and sat on the couch with Jessi.

Lori said, _wait here guys, I'll go and get you breakfast._

Jessi looked at Kyle and said_, you have mud all over you, and that eye looks painful._ Then she looked at her arms and said, _I guess I have mud all over me, too. I hate mud. _She said with conviction. Kyle smiled, and gave her a kiss on her bruised cheek, and said, _you look beautiful no matter what. _Jessi replied, _ouch! Is my cheek swollen?_ Kyle replied, _I am sorry Jessi I did not mean to hurt you._ _It's okay Kyle don't worry._ Jessi said.

Lori came back with a tray that had 2 plates with pancakes and bacon, 2 glasses of orange juice, maple syrup and the necessary utensils. Kyle and Jessi dig in after saying,_ thanks Lori _simultaneously.

Stephen and Nicole were in their bedroom taking a shower and getting dressed. Foss agreed to wait for them before talking to Kyle and Jessi about the events of the prior day. Josh had got up and was eating his breakfast in the kitchen.

Stephen, Nicole and Foss entered the family room. Kyle and Jessi had just finished breakfast. Lori took the trays away and then came back followed by Josh and Declan who had just woken up and was drinking a second cup of coffee. They all sat down. Jessi was getting nervous. Kyle noticed and held her hand.

Tom Foss started, _Kyle, Jessi. I would like to better understand the events that lead to you almost getting kidnapped._

Kyle started,_ It is all my fault. No it's not _Jessi said. Kyle continued, _I got bored and left Jessi alone while she was doing her catch up assignments. When I came back I saw her cooking mate giving her a hug, and I got jealous. Then I started yelling at her and accusing her. _Jessi interrupted, _is that why you got upset, Kyle do you not know the only one I love is you. Jeremiah just came to help me as you suggested, he is very extroverted, and I have no idea why he gave me a hug before he left. _Kyle said_, I know Jessi, I was just acting stupid, plus it was very irresponsible of me to leave you alone, you have been out of your pod for less than a month. I know I was not left alone until I had been out for several months. _Kyle hugged Jessi tightly and she returned the hug without hesitation.

Kyle continued, _after that I ran away and went to the Rack, where fortunately, Lori made me see how stupid and irresponsible I was being. When I came back home to ask Jessi for forgiveness she was gone so I went out looking for her as I thought she might be in the cave she hid in after escaping the hunter. _Jessi interrupted again, _Kyle really, you went looking for me? Of course _Kyle said_, I could not live without you, and I was so worried._ Jessi could not resist and gave him kiss on the check. Kyle marveled, Jessi had come to his aid, not even knowing that he was looking for her, and after the way he had behaved. He held her even tighter.

_I ran in to the forest, and I was so distracted in my own thoughts that I was careless. I did not realized that I was ambushed until I was already surrounded I barely had time to call Foss. Then out of nowhere Jessi came and started fighting the mercenaries. She also protected me from the rubber bullets with her own body, when I was too weak to fight. If it was not for her, I think I would have been taken before Tom and Declan came to our aid. The next thing I remember is waking up in the family room and mom giving me orange juice. _Kyle finished.

_What about you Jessi? _Foss asked. _After Kyle left I thought he did not love me anymore, and I took off running. I ended up at the cave, as Kyle predicted. I stayed there for a few hours, until I realized that I had to come back home, as I did not want to worry my family. When I was ready to exit the cave, I saw the mercenaries so I stayed there until they were gone. Then I started getting away from them quietly and using the trees as cover. That is when I heard a shot and Kyle screaming, so I ran toward the sound, and found that Kyle had been shot with a tranquillizer dart. I fought the best that I could to protect Kyle. I am not in my best shape; otherwise, I think I could have neutralized the threat. But it seems I was at least able to buy some time so Foss and Declan could get there. I collapsed and I was still able to see them coming. Then I woke up like Kyle in the family room._

Everyone was shocked except for Tom and Declan. Foss had some questions. _Jessi I have been training Kyle for months now. So I would expect him to be able to put on a pretty good defense. How did you know what to do? We barely started training and we have not gone over strategies or fight techniques, because you have been so weak._

Jessi said matter of fact, _when Kyle and I were at Zzyzx, we did a lot of the same things, and they also had each of us specialized in certain areas. Mine was military development and strategie, as well as warfare. I went through so many algorithms and scenarios. When I heard Kyle scream it all just came back to me me_. _When I realized Kyle was in danger, my only thought was helping him. I believe the Adrenaline gave me the strength that I would not have had otherwise. But it was not enough, if it wasn't for Foss and Declan we would have been captured._

Kyle kissed Jessi's temple and said a quiet _thank you _just for her.

Tom said, _given that scenario someone must have been spying on the house, and send a team to capture Jessi, when they realized she was unprotected and in a secluded area. Then by accident they found Kyle and decided to capture him instead. I will check the surrounding area for hidden cameras and microphones._

_Kyle and Jessi, I don't want you in the forest at all, you must stay together at all times as you stand a better chance that way. If you are not together, then you need to be with other people and in a public place as it is unlikely for you to get attacked in that type of scenario. Do you understand?_

_Yes sir, _they both answered.

Then Foss said, _you behaved very irresponsibly. Do not repeat it._

Kyle and Jessi nodded their heads.

When Nicole was sure that Tom was finished she started, _Kyle I agree with Mr. Foss you were very irresponsible. I trusted that you would take care of Jessi while I was away. But instead you left her alone and then fought with her. I have no other choice but to ground you for a week. _Jessi said, _It was not all Kyles fault it was my fault too. _Nicole said, _I am getting to that Jessi. Please never leave the house without letting someone know where you are going, that is why we all have cell phones. I am not going to ground you this time because we had not talked about it, and it was Kyle's responsibility to take care of you._

Stephen thought that Nicole was being too harsh; after all they would be paying for their mistakes for a while with all those bruises. But he supported Nicole's decision.

Nicole and Lori were helping Jessi to take a bath; Foss had carried her up the stairs. Lori said, _ouch, that must hurt. _Jessi said, _it does hurt, but I have been in worse pain before. Kyle and I have very high pain tolerance, courtesy of Zzyzx. _Jessi said bitterly._ Lori do you think something could be done with make up to cover the bruise on my cheek when I go to school. _Lori studied the bruise, and asked, _mom when are Kyle and Jessi going back to school?_ Nicole responded _either Tuesday or Wednesday depending on how they do._ Lori told Jessi, _I am sure we will be able to cover it with make-up, we will practice tomorrow night. Thanks Lori, _said a grateful Jessi.

Nicole had to laugh internally, thinking less than a month ago, Jessi was not worried about her appearance at all, and had had no problem being naked and cover in mud, in front of the family. Now she was concerned about a bruise on her cheek and how to cover it up. Jessi was a fast learner just like Kyle.

Lori had got some sweat pants for Jessi to get dressed, however they fell off her. Nicole said, _Jessi have you been eating well? You seem thinner than when you first got here._ Jessi answered, _mom, I have been eating well, I had put on 6 pounds, but I've lost 8 pounds since yesterday, my metabolism is very fast just like Kyle's. So between fitting, running, missing dinner, metabolizing the tranquilizers and the healing process, I just did not keep up with my caloric needs. _Nicole was surprised; she had not realized that Kyle and Jessi had a faster metabolism and high caloric needs. She had always assumed that Kyle eat a lot because he was a growing teenage boy.

Kyle and Jessi were sitting at the family room watching TV, Kyle had taken a bath with Stephen's help after Jessi. He was wearing PJ's and his robe, he opted for PJ's as Jessi was wearing a nightgown and a robe, as all the other comfortable clothes were way too big for her. It was almost lunch time when Nicole came in and looking at Kyle and Jessi said, _I had not realized that you have higher caloric needs than average. So I need to know how much you are going to need to eat until you heal, particularly you Jessi, if you keep losing weight you will end up at a hospital. _Jessi made quick calculations and responded_, to maintain my weight, I will need 9, 000 calories a day until I finish the healing process, if I want to put on 3 pounds a week then I will need 12,750 calories per day, assuming a sedentary life style. Generally I would only need 5000 calories per day. _Jessi concluded. _What about you Kyle?_ Nicole asked. _I will need 11,500 calories a day while I am healing. I lost 12 pounds yesterday, to put on 4 pounds per week I will need, 16,500 calories per day. At baseline I need 7000 calories, and more depending on how much I exercise._

Nicole was surprised by the numbers, now she understood why she was buying so much peanut butter lately. Then she said, _I will start cooking more, and if you need more than that let me know. I will also keep more healthy snacks available._

Foss and Declan were outside. Foss was teaching Declan how to find hidden cameras and microphones. After checking for a couple of hours they came inside. Foss announced that they had found 7 hidden cameras and microphones. He also said that he did not think there would be any inside the house but just to make sure, he wanted to check. Declan and Foss spent the next 3 hours looking inside the house, and found no spying equipment.

It was 6:00 pm when Foss went to the family room, Kyle and Jessi had fallen asleep while watching Gone with the Wind. Tom woke them up and said,_ you need to get up and start walking. I cannot leave until I know that at least you are able to walk._

Kyle said, _yes I know, we need to break the lactic acid crystals, and we need to get our blood going so the blood in the bruises can be reabsorb. But what about Jessi she had a hard time walking when she was 12 pounds underweight and now she is 14 pounds underweight._

Jessi said, _that was because, I had an infection, I was dehydrated and anemic. I don't have those problems now. I am sure I can walk. I might need some help at first, just to make sure._

Foss and Declan were helping Jessi and Kyle to walk, after a half hour, the pain had diminished, and they were able to walk on their own. Tom was satisfied.

Nicole and Stephen came in to the family room and were surprised to find Kyle and Jessi walking. Tom said,_ at least they are walking now. I also took care of the hidden cameras and microphones. I am going to leave now, and I will keep an eye on things from the warehouse._ Then turning to Kyle and Jessi he said,_ I expect you up and walking for at least a half hour every 2 hours. I also expect you for training on Wednesday, and Jessi I want to see you for morning training. With this recent attack, we need to be ready._

Nicole said, _Tom and Declan would you like to stay for dinner?_ Foss said, _No thanks Nicole. _Declan said,_ yes thank you Mrs. Trager._

Stephen and Nicole decided that Kyle and Jessi could sleep together for another week, as Tom said that when they were close, their bodies healed faster.

Jessi and Kyle were still a sleep. Nicole had left to do groceries at Costco as she now realized how much food her family would need.

Kyle woke up first. Jessi's head was resting on his chest. He again could feel all of her bones, and he felt a pang of guilt. He was thinking, If I had not yelled at Jessi this would have never happened, now look at her she is skin and bones again and it is all my fault.

Jessi woke up and said, _Kyle stop it, it wasn't your fault, if anything we share equal responsibility. I believe that if we truly want to find a guilty party that would be the people that tried to kidnap us._ Then she gave him a long kiss and both of them felt electricity circulating through them. Kyle held her tight in his arms wanting to enjoy the moment.

Kyle asked, _Jessi, how did you know what I was thinking? _Jessi looked surprised and said, _you mean you were not talking out loud? No I was thinking. _Kyle responded. Jessi thought about it and said,_ I guess when I was waking up I sensed your distress and got into your thoughts._ Kyle responded _we still don't know how many ways of connecting we have; we just need to keep learning._

Nicole came in and found Kyle and Jessi walking, Kyle said _do you need help with the groceries_?

Nicole responded, _not today,if there is anything that is to heavy I'll have Josh get it when he is back from School._

Nicole, Kyle and Jessi were eating Lunch. Nicole asked, _I am curious, but most people that are as beaten up as you are, would be taking pain medications. Do you not feel pain the same as other people do?_

Jessi was looking down, and Kyle realized, she did not want to talk about it. Kyle started, _when we were at Zzyzx they submitted us to experiments to test pain tolerance, they pushed us to the limit. Then they decided to have us experience pain, and force us to do processing at the same time. We feel the pain the same as anyone else, it's just that we are used to push through it._

Nicole's curiosity took the best of her and she asked _how did they induce the pain? _Kyle thought that he really did not want to talk about it, but he could not refuse his mother, so he said, _in different ways, sometimes with injections of nociceptive's other times with electric stimulation, at times they stimulated our muscles so much and for so long that it became incredibly painful. One time they wanted to take ova out of Jessi and they did the surgery without anesthesia. Another time they wanted to check out our healing time and they cut in to my arm and then they just measured the healing time._

Nicole was sorry she had asked and said, _Kyle you don't have to tell me anymore. I am sorry I asked, I realize that must bring a lot of bad memories for you and Jessi, I just did not realize it was that bad. The people that did that to you should be in jail. _Nicole thought it would have been better not to know, she was not sure how she was going to deal with that much information.

Nicole got up from the table only to return a few minute latter, with 2 glasses of orange juice and some ibuprofen. She said, _you are not at Zzyzx anymore, give ibuprofen a try it should help some. _

_J_essi said, _thanks mom. _She was not sure it would help, but it was nice to have someone trying to diminish her pain rather than causing her pain. She smiled thankfully at Nicole.

Kyle looked at the ibuprofen and took it, he said, t_hanks mom, I'm sure it will help._ He felt the same as Jessi.

It was Tuesday morning and Kyle and Jessi were riding with Declan to school. They had a cover story in case someone asked about the bruises. They would say they went paintballing and stayed way to long and ended up getting bruised.

After lunch Kyle walked with Jessi to cooking class. Jessi was surprised that Kyle walked in with her and went to the teacher and said, I_ am Kyle I appreciate you taking me in to the class so late. What work station should I go to?_ The teacher said, _you can work with Jeremiah and Jessi, there is only 2 at that cook station, the rest of the teams have_ 3. _I expect you to turn in your catch up assignments by next Monday._

Jessi was smiling from side to side and beaming with happiness, she told Kyle, _I thought you did not care about cooking._ Kyle responded, _I care about everything that you do. I enjoy every minute that we spend together. If you are learning how to cook I want to learn how to cook, I want to share everything with you Jessi._ Kyle had his arm firmly around her waist as they walked towards the cooking station.

Jeremiah was already at the cooking station, he said _Hi Jessi, I missed you yesterday. _Then he said to Kyle, _Hi I am Jeremiah. _Kyle responded, _hi Jeremiah, I am Kyle, Jessi's boyfriend. Thanks for helping her to catch up on her assignments._ Jeremiah realized it would be a losing battle to try to win Jessi's heart. The way Kyle and Jessi looked at each other made it clear. He decided instead he would focus on making 2 new friends._  
_

* * *

Thanks to Jason Z0654, my beta reader. His help in invaluable and greatly appreciated.

Mcaj, thanks for reviewing, I hope you like this chapter.

remma500 thanks for reviewing. It means s a lot to me. Don't worry I will finish this story. I certainly hope it will become one of your favorite ones.

Ideas suggestions are always appreciated.

Please review._  
_


	10. The Mall

Chapter 10

The mall

It was Friday and the Trager family was eating an all American dinner, of steak, mash potatoes, green beans and salad. Jessi and Kyle had made a red velvet cake, from the cooking class recipes. Stephen was running late again.

Nicole announced_, Jessi we are going to the mall tomorrow to get your own Clothes, I think you have put on enough weight for us to be able to get you properly fitted clothes. _Jessi looked extremely excited, she said, _I have never gone shopping for clothes before, and I have never been to the mall, that sounds great, thank you so much mom._ Kyle said, _I want to go too. Me too, I need to help Jessi pick the right clothes; I should also call Hills. _Lori said. _What about you Josh? _Nicole asked. _I have to work in the morning. I guess I could meet you over there if Andy wants to go._

Kyle and Jessi were cleaning the table and putting the dishes in the dish washer, as soon as they finished. Jessi said _Good night Kyle. I am going to put together a list of what I need. I'll see if Lori wants to help me. _Kyle did not like that Jessi had moved to Lori's room. He missed having her sleep on his chest, and feeling her body close to him. He did not understand why that was necessary; after all they were just sleeping. It was just another rule of society that made no sense to him. So reluctantly he said, _Good night Jessi, I miss having you with me. _Kyle kissed her cheeks and then made his way to her mouth. He kissed her softly at first, and then with his tongue followed the contours of her lips. Jessi understood what he wanted, and opened her lips slightly inviting him in, he slowly inserted his tongue in to her mouth, and Jessi let him explore it. Electricity was circulating between them and then they heard an explosion. The motor of the dish washer had burned. Stephen was walking in and asked_ what's that noise?_ Jessi responded _it seems like the dish washer motor overheated. Kyle and I will fix it tomorrow_. Jessi was much better at lying and making excuses than Kyle, even if she had been out of the pod for a shorter period of time.

Stephen walked in to the kitchen and said _Hi where is the rest of the family_? Kyle responded,_ Mom said she was going to go to sleep early. Josh is out with Andy. Lori is in her bedroom. _Stephen nodded his head he seemed disappointed, he had hoped to eat dinner with his family, but he could not expect them to wait for him until 9:00pm. Kyle and Jessi noticed his disappointment. Jessi said, _Stephen why don't you sit down and I will warm up your dinner. _Kyle said, _I will sit with you and eat a second piece of cake while you eat_. Stephen smiled and sat down. It was definitely nice to have Kyle and Jessi to cheer him up. Then he asked, _Kyle and Jessi, why do you call Nicole mom and me Stephen?_ He sounded hurt. Jessi and Kyle felt bad about it. Jessi walked over to him and gave him a hug. Kyle said,_ that is because we have not had the chance to ask you if you would allow us to call you dad. _Stephen said _nothing would make me happier. I love you kids so much._ All of them smiled and their eyes were shining with tears. Stephen hugged both of his children and thought he could not have loved them more if they had been born to him and Nicole.

After serving Stephen his dinner, Jessi decided to sit with him and Kyle and have a second piece of cake. The three of them started talking about computers and programing and had a great time. Stephen told them about the project he was working on at Madacorp, it was nice to have part of his family understanding what he was talking about.

Kyle and Jessi got up early to fix the dish washer, they had to take the motor apart, and replace some parts. Fortunately Stephen always kept supplies on hand.

Jessi suggested, _let's fix breakfast for the family since we are already up. Sure _said Kyle, _what are we cooking?_

Jessi said, _I'll make the French toast, why don't you make the eggs. _Kyle responded, _that sounds good I think I'll make a cheese omelet. That should go well with the French toast._

The smell of food woke the family up, and they all made their way to the kitchen. Josh said, _I like having 2 personal chefs, good job guys. _Lori was feeling grumpy and barked a good morning.

Nicole said, _Kyle and Jessi you are spoiling us that looks delicious. _Stephen said, _Nicole is right that sure looks good, and you also have the coffee brewing. I sure can use a cup._

Nicole said, _hey Stephen we are going to the mall today, to buy clothes for Jessi. Do you want to come? _Stephen responded, _I wish I could, but I have to go to Madacorp today, as they want the software ready as soon as possible._

Nicole was disappointed and Stephen noticed and he said, _I'll tell you what, I will meet you at the mall at 6:00 we can have dinner together and then catch a movie, what do you say?_ Nicole brightened up and said _that is a deal; call us when you get to the mall._

Nicole, Lori , Jessi, Kyle and Hillary were driving to the mall. Jessi was so excited, she could not stop fidgeting in her seat, and had a big grin on her face. Kyle loved seeing her so happy, he decided to move closer to her and hold her tight in his arms, being closer allowed him to feel her enthusiasm as if it was his, and it also stopped Jessi from fidgeting.

Declan was driving to the mall, he had agreed to meet Kyle there. Foss had asked him to go and to keep him informed. He was also going to take pictures of anything suspicious. Foss did not think there would be any real danger at the mall. He saw it more as a training opportunity for Declan. Foss told him he would be at Barnes and Nobles reading a book and drinking coffee. The bookstore was across the street from the mall.

Declan got out of his SUV, and was walking towards the entrance of the mall. A limousine pulled up, the driver got out to open the door. Out of the Limousine came a woman that looked middle age, with brown wavy hair and mixed Caucasian and Asian features, a teenage boy with the same type of features, and then a young lady that had brown curly hair, deep blue eyes and that had the same features and body type as Jessi? She was followed by a young man with hazel green eyes, he had the same build as Kyle, and when Declan saw his face, it was almost impossible to distinguish him from Kyle.

Declan got his cell phone and discreetly took some pictures, to show to Foss later. He also wondered if maybe he was just imagining things.

Declan met with the Trager's, and said nothing of what he had seen, as he still had problems believing it was true.

Jessi said, _mom I made a list of what I need. _Nicole said; _let me take a look at it._ Jessi gave Nicole the list, and Nicole quickly added a few items. Lori said, _let's start at Forever 21, and then we can go to American Eagle and to Hollister._ Nicole said, _that sounds good, we will also be visiting JC Penny and The Burlington Coat Factory._

Kyle generally did not enjoy shopping, but this was different as he had an excited Jessi, pulling him in to the stores and asking his opinion of the clothes she was trying on. She looked stunning; the weight she had put on had turn in to well defined muscles, and all her curves had increased. Definitely this was the best shopping trip on Kyle's list.

Jessi asked, _Kyle what do you think about this blouse, do you thinks it would match with this skirt? _Kyle said, _I think it will look great on you. _Jessi went to try the outfit on and to get the final approval from Lori, Hillary and Nicole.

They were at the food court when Jeremiah and his sister approached them. Jeremiah said, _Hi Jessi, Hi Kyle, this is my sister Alona, do you mind if we join you for lunch? _Kyle said, _Hi Jeremiah, nice to meet you Alona. This is my mother Nicole, my sister Lori, her friend Hillary and Declan my best friend. Sure it would be nice to have you join us for lunch. Guys this is Jeremiah our cooking team mate, and his sister Alona. _ Jessi said, _Hi Jeremiah, Hi Alona, I am Jessi. Jeremiah managed to sit next to Hillary, _who said, _Hi handsome, I did not realize you went to our school. _Lori just rolled her eyes, and in a low sarcastic tone said, _here we go all over again._

The woman from the limousine was at the food court with her teenage son, she had agreed to meet there with her twins. She started approaching the table where Kyle and Jessi were sitting wondering how her twins knew those people, as they had recently moved to Seattle. However when she got closer, her legs weakened and her son had to catch her to prevent her from falling. Her twins approached and her daughter asked, _what's wrong mom?_ They helped her to sit and she said, _there is nothing wrong, I just got a bit light headed, this food court is too crowded, let's go to Morton's for lunch I need a more private environment. _She got up and they walked away, she had one of her sons on each side holding her, they adored their mother.

Declan and Kyle offered to take the shopping bags to the car, while the lady's continued shopping. Kyle told Declan, _Declan help me find a nice present for Jessi, Valentine's Day is coming and I want to surprise her. _They both walked around the mall looking for the perfect present.

It was 5:00 pm and Stephen was getting ready to leave Madacorp. He walked to his car and tried to start it, it would not start. Emily saw Stephen's predicament and walked to his car, she said, _having car problems?_ Stephen answered, _yes and I am supposed to meet my wife and children for dinner and a movie._

Emily said, _if you need me to help to jump start your car, I will be happy to help. _Stephen answered, _it is not the battery, seems like there is something wrong with the motor._ Emily smiled; her plan was working out perfectly. In a friendly tone she said, _if you want I can drive you to the mall, after I pick my daughter up from home, I am planning to take her to the movie, so it would not be a problem._ Stephen said, _thanks Emily that sounds great._

Stephen called Nicole and explained he had car problems, and that a co-worker would be dropping him off at the mall. He told her not to wait for him for dinner, just to save a spot for him.

The Trager family, Hillary, Declan and Andy were at the Hong Kong Chines Buffett. Kyle and Jessi were working on their 5th dessert, after having gone around serving themselves at least 15 times. Josh was not far behind, he had joined them for dinner and he and Andy were planning to join them for the movie to.

Nicole saw Stephen through the glass windows and an attractive woman walking with him, before Stephen could walk in the woman gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Emily excused herself to Stephen by saying, _sorry; I think I got carried away by the moment. _Stephen did not understand what moment she was talking about, however he politely said, _thanks Emily, I hope you and Paige enjoy your movie._

Stephen walked in to the restaurant and made his way to the table, then leaned and Kiss Nicole. Nicole could smell the perfume from another woman, and noticed a couple of hairs from Emily on Stephen's suit. Emily had sprayed Stephen "accidentally" with her perfume, and when she hugged him, had made sure the hairs ended up in a visible spot.

While Stephen went to get his food, Nicole was thinking, Could this be the reason Stephen is spending so much time at work and is called for so many "emergencies". She did not want to believe that Stephen would be unfaithful to her. Then again the evidence was right in-front of her.

After dinner they went to the Century Link movie and watched a chick flick as the Ladys outnumbered the men. Kyle did not mind at all, as he spent half of the movie looking at Jessi's expressions. Declan fell asleep. Stephen had to put on a heroic effort not to fall asleep, and he tenderly held Nicole's hand. There was no chance of Josh falling asleep, as Andy kept elbowing him every time he closed his eyes.

Stephen, Kyle and Jessi were at Madacorp parking lot trying to see if they could get Stephen car going without having to call a tow truck. Jessi figured out that if they took the motor out they could take it back home, work on it and then comeback once they fixed it.

Nicole had decided to go shopping for some new outfits, as she wanted to look beautiful for Stephen. She did not shop at her usual stores; instead she went to Norton and to Saks Fifth Avenue. On her way back home she stop at Planet fitness and signed up for a membership.

When Nicole came home she found Kyle and Jessi working on the motor of Stephen's car, and Stephen was inside playing G-Force with Josh. Lori was in her room playing the guitar and singing. She was happy to have all her family home.

After dinner, Jessi and Kyle announced that the motor was fixed, and they drove with Stephen back to Madacorp to finish fixing the car. Stephen liked to see Jessi and Kyle working together, they were very efficient and fast, they did not even need verbal communication, they just could work as one unit. They were not fully aware of it, they had been doing it most of their life, and they took it for granted. It just was who they were.

At a Beach front luxury house in Seattle Mrs. Cheng was talking to her head of security. She was saying, _Ms. Ortiz, I want you to locate 2 teenagers that look exactly like my twins, except the boy has blue eyes and the girl has green hazel eyes, I estimate them to be between 15 and 17 years, middle class, and here is a picture of their mother._

Ms. Ortiz said, _I will find them for you and as many details as possible, give me a week._

* * *

I would like to thank my Beta reader JasonZ0654 for the review, and encouragement.

Mcaj, I appreciate your review


	11. Valentine's Day

Chapter 11

Valentine's Day

It was Sunday night, Lori and Jessi were getting ready to go to bed. Jessi was sleeping on a cot in Lori's room. Lori lamented_, just my luck, I have no one to go with to the Valentine's dance on Friday, not even my BFF, she is going with Jeremiah_.

Jessi said sympathetically _Lori if you want you can come with Kyle and me._

Lori said, _no I don't want to ruin your night. I would be like a third wheel._

Jessi said, _but you don't look like a wheel._ When Jessi saw Lori rolling her eyes she said, _I get it is just an expression, right?_

Lori said, _let's just go to sleep Jessi. _Then she turned the light off.

Jessi was not ready to go to sleep, so she continued, _Lori so what is Valentine's Day about and what are the rituals surrounding it?_

Lori laughed at the way Jessi said rituals, she realized unless she answered Jessi's questions she would get little rest. Jessi could be persistant. Lori started, _it is a day to celebrate love, and to get presents for your significant other, if you want to know more ask Kyle or go on the internet, that is as much as I know._

Jessi was thinking as she lay on her cot, I wonder if Kyle is going to get me a present. Maybe I could get in to his thoughts and find out, but he would know I was in his thoughts and he might get upset. I will just have to wait to find out. I hate waiting. Then she suddenly realized, I don't have a present for Kyle and I have no money to buy him one. What am I going to do? She kept worrying about it for a while and then thought I know I will make Kyle a present.

Kyle and Jessi were getting out of the house for morning training. Jessi said, _race you _and took off running. Kyle took off running a second later and said_ not fair Jessi. _Jessi replied _Kyle, are you afraid that I am faster, smarter and stronger than you. Jessi why does everything have to be a competition? _Kyle replied. Jessi picked up her pace and said in an accusatory tone,_ you are trying to slow me down, just run._

Jessi got to the warehouse 3 seconds before Kyle and said _I win. _Kyle just took her in his arms and kissed her. Tom yelled at them, _Jessi, Kyle just get in here, you are going to blow out my lights again._

Jessi and Kyle were practicing levitating solids, they were working on bricks. Jessi was effortlessly levitating 2 bricks. Kyle was struggling to keep up. He thought Jessi is definitely better at moving solids. Foss yelled, _Kyle concentrate, the only reason Jessi is beating you is because she is more focused and more determined._

Declan in the meantime was lifting weights; earlier Foss had worked with him on self-defense.

Declan offered to drive Kyle and Jessi home, but they declined. Kyle asked Jessi _do you want to race home. _Jessi said, _no it's daylight now and we cannot go full speed. _Then she smiled seductively and said, _but I will take a piggy back ride. _Kyle said jokingly_, but_ _I thought you were stronger. _Jessi said, _yes I said that, but Kyle you are strong enough to carry me. _Kyle turned around laughing and Jessi jumped on his back. Then Kyle trotted back home, while Jessi was kissing his ears and messing with his hair. Jessi loved to do that, and Kyle did not mind it at all, it was much better than running home alone.

They got home at 6:30 am and Jessi went in to the shower; she took exactly 10 minutes and came out in a shower robe. Kyle jumped in and took exactly 10 minutes before coming out in a shower robe. They had to cut their shower time down to leave enough time for Josh and Lori. Josh was waiting outside the shower, he entered the bathroom wet his hair and applied deodorant, and he was out in 5 minutes. He hated showers and did not see why he had to take one every day, Andy had never complained about him smelling.

Jessi and Kyle were walking to school holding hands and talking. At a distance a black car was following.

After all the family was in bed, Jessi listened for Kyle's heart rate and respiration, to make sure he was a sleep. Then she put on her sweatpants, and jumped out Lori's window. She took off running in the warehouse direction, and then stopped to get some pieces of wood that she had seen earlier in the day. There was a pair of eyes observing her. Then she ran back home jumped and got back in through Lori's widow.

Jessi was at the basement carving, coloring and drawing. She had asked Stephen for permission to use his tools and some of the paints he had down there. Jessi would spend the rest of the week for a few hours at night in the basement to make Kyle a present.

* * *

It was Tuesday morning, and Ms. Ortiz was at the office of Mrs. Cheng. She said, _I am sorry it took longer than I anticipated. I wanted to obtain as much information as possible. If you want I can give you a verbal report and then leave the documents I obtained for you to review._ Mrs. Cheng answered; _I would like the verbal report as well as your impressions. Ms. Ortiz started, The family lives in the suburbs in a middle class neighborhood. The name of the father is Stephen Trager he is a computer programmer and engineer, he is currently working for Madacorp a large international corporation. The name of the mother is Nicole she is a clinical psychologist, currently working part time at the juvenile detention center, it appears she has worked for them on and off. They have 2 biological children, Lori and Josh; they both attend Beachwood High School. _

_Regarding the subjects of investigation, the name of the male is Kyle Trager. He was adopted as a teenager. Nicole brought him to her home from the juvenile detention center as a foster child. His biological parents were David and Julie Peterson. They found Kyle with the Tragers and recognized him as their long lost son Noah Peterson. They took him home and then died shortly after. That is when Kyle was adopted. The strange thing is that there are no school records for Kyle before he started attending Beachwood High. There are also no medical records prior to his time with the Trager's. He was also found under strange circumstances. He was walking naked downtown, when the police arrested him. He was later determined to be amnestic. He attends AP classes and appears to be very bright._

_The name of the girl is Jessica Emerson. She is called Jessi by family and Trager's have full custody over her. The court documents state that parental rights were terminated due to abuse and neglect. The name of her biological mother is Sarah Emerson. The name of the father is unknown. It appears that Stephen is a distant cousin to her mother. They consider her their own. The way that she came to be with the Tragers is also very unusual. From a police report I gather she was attacked in the woods by a hunter a week before she appeared in the Trages home. From surveillance cameras that I tapped in it appears that Kyle found her by the park in terrible conditions. Then he took her to his home. I have copies of her medical record from the urgent care she was taken to a day after getting to the Tragers. It appears that Kyle and Jessi knew each other, probably from the streets or foster care. In any case it appears that Kyle and Jessi are romantically involved. Then again I was unable to find any type of records from Jessi before her life with the Tragers. She is also extremely bright and enrolled in Beachwood High a short time ago, also taking AP classes._

_The other strange thing is that they appear to have a body guard, and security. Their house is highly monitored. I don't understand why teenagers with that type of background would have a security team, or why they would need it. I don't know who runs security for them or who pays for it. Whoever is doing it is highly skilled._

_The other interesting thing is that they leave their home every morning at 3:30 a.m., we do not know where they go as they run at a speed that appears to be faster of that of an Olympic medalist. They always take different routes. They go back to their home at 6:30 am each morning._

_My opinion is that there is something unusual going on, if you want we can keep monitoring and gathering information._

Mrs. Cheng said,_ I want you to have someone dedicated to spying on them. Inform me of anything unusual immediately. Leave the documents and recordings with me. Thanks for your help Ms. Ortiz. My pleasure Mrs. Cheng._

* * *

It was Thursday and Nicole, Jessi and Kyle were at the police station. Officer Miller had call the day before to tell them they believed they had the man that had attacked Jessi; they needed for Jessi to identify him.

Officer Miller walked to them and told them, _Hello Mrs. Trager, Jessi and is it Kyle? _They responded, _Hello. _Kyle said, _you have my name right, I am surprised you remembered._ Officer Miller smiled proudly, happy that his good memory for names was being recognized. He then said _this is detective Linda Andrew, she will take it from here. _Ms. Andrew said_, I have a few men in a room. There is a double sided mirror, so they cannot see us. Jessi I need you to identify the man that attacked you, each man will be holding a number. Do you think you can do that?_

Jessi responded, _yes I can. _Detective Andrew lead them to the window, and Jessi looked at the men. Then she said,_ it is number 3._ Detective Andrew asked, _are you sure Jessi? Of course I am, _responded an offended Jessi. _Thanks Jessi _said Detective Andrew.

Detective Andrew took them to her office and explained what would happen, _The suspect will get an arrangement hearing tomorrow, Jessi does not need to be present, as she is a minor and we have enough evidence. The charges brought against him are, attempted murder, attempted sexual assault, and aggravated child abuse._ _After that a bail will be set, if he cannot pay, he will probably sit in jail for the next 2 years, until he has a trial. We will probably need Jessi to be present for the trial, by then she will be an adult._

Jessi was sitting on the passengers sit, Kyle was in the back seat. Nicole noticed that Jessi was being unusually quiet, so she asked, _how are you feeling Jessi? You seem very quiet._ Jessi answered, _I am actually feeling pretty good. No one has ever been punished for hurting me, no one ever cared. I guess I do count. Kyle was right when he told me I am a member of society. It is just hard to get used to._ Nicole said, _of course you count honey, you are a child and crimes against children are taken very seriously. But you also count to us your family; you are very important and dear to our heart._ Nicole thought that it was a perfect opportunity to repair Jessi's damaged self-esteem.

Jessi said, _thanks mom. I am almost starting to believe that I am human. I guess because I am being treated as one. It feels really good. I like it._ She had a big grin on her face for the rest of the trip home. Kyle was happy that Jessi was starting to feel like she was human. It had also taken him a while, and occasionally doubts still assaulted him.

It was finally Valentine's Day. Foss let the kids take the day off from training. He thought he would spend the day investigating the pictures that Declan had showed him. For some strange reason the middle age female looked familiar to him, however he could not place where he had seen her. He was also intrigued by the copies of Kyle and Jessi. He definitely needed to dig deeper.

Kyle and Jessi surprised the family by making heart shaped pancakes for breakfast. They were used to getting up early anyway.

Kyle and Jessi were walking to school, Jessi decided to wear a skirt and a red blouse, and Kyle decided to wear black jeans and a nice shirt. They were both wearing grey matching coats. Kyle said, _it is our first Valentine's Day together love_, and bended to give her a light kiss while they were walking.

Jessi responded, _yes it is, and it will also be my first school dance I am so excited. She held on to Kyle's arm and lean her head on his shoulder. _

When they were at the school entrance Kyle stopped and put his back pack down, he took out a bouquet of red roses, and said, _happy Valentine's Day Jessi. _Jessi took the roses and then kissed Kyle passionately, a few car alarms went off. Then out of her back pack she took out a packet, it was wrapped in red paper and had a ribbon on it. Kyle was very surprised, and started opening it. When he saw it a few tears of happiness left his eyes and then he gave Jessi a big hug ad a kiss. Jessi told him _it's only for you, I would suggest not showing it to anyone else._

Jessi felt so happy to be one of the girls with a bouquet of roses, it made her feel special and loved. Kyle was very happy too, he was so happy to have Jessi, he could not imagine life without her. She was beautiful, smart, she understood him perfectly, and she cared about him deeply, enough to risk her life for him. He could not believe how lucky he was.

Kyle and Jessi were eating their lunch outside, it was cold, but they could generate extra heat to maintain their body temperature for the duration of lunch. Jessi asked, _Kyle do you like the album I made for you? I love it Jessi_ Kyle said. Jessi explained_ I got the idea when I was looking at the family albums, and I realized we had nothing like that. So I decided to draw pictures of significant moments we have had together, I left a few pages at the end blank in case you want to draw a special moment._

They were both looking at the album, the first picture was of them as toddlers in pods, in printing it said, the day we realized we were separate beings. After that it was a picture of them at age 4 holding hands, the next one was of them in their "room" they were age 6. It read when we created our sanctuary. One of them was divided in 2 one half had Kyle holding a suffering Jessi and the other half had Jessi holding a suffering Kyle, it read we learned how much we loved each other by sharing our pain. The pictures were all about the 2 of them mostly in their pods, however Jessi also included some drawings of their current life. Jessi had put the paper between 2 pieces of wood and had carved on it Kyle and Jessi's album. She had polished the wood and applied a clear sealer on it.

Lori, Jessi, Hillary and Andy were getting ready for the dance. At the last minute Declan had asked Lori to go with him as "friends", and she agreed.

Jessi was wearing a red dress that fitted her body perfectly it was sleeveless. Lori fixed her hair up and Hillary helped with make-up. They were all helping each other and having fun.

Andy came down first, Josh told her Wow! You look great, let's get going. After came Hillary, Jeremiah was waiting for her, he said _you look gorgeous_, and gave her a rose. Then came Lori, Declan's eyes brighten, and he told her, _Trager you look great._ _You don't look that bad yourself Declan. _Then Lori took Declan's arm and they walked out.

Finally Jessi walked down the stairs, she looked absolutely gorgeous. Kyle walked up to her and told her _you look amazing Jessi, _and then gave her a small box_. _ Jessi opened the box and inside she found a beautiful pendant in the form of a heart that had the picture of Kyle and her imprinted on one side, and on the other side it said Kyle and Jessi forever. Jessi threw her arms around Kyle's neck and he spun her around happily. Then Jessi gave him a present bag. Kyle found his name carved in wood and painted in dark blue she said_, I notice you did not have one on your door like Lori and Josh. _Kyle said, _thanks Jessi, I will hang it up first thing in the morning._ Then Kyle kissed her hands.

Kyle and Jessi had to walk to the dance as they did not want to spoil the night for their siblings and friends. Plus Kyle had some plans. They did not notice that a car was following them.

Amanda was at the dance she was in charge of the organizing committee, and did not have a date for the night. She saw Kyle and Jessi entering. It was hard for her to see Kyle with Jessi. Amanda lamented, _Kyle looks so handsome in that suit and to think that I made it so difficult for him to date me. I don't think I will ever find someone like him. _

Kyle asked Jessi, _do you want to dance or would you like something to drink first._ Jessi said, _lets drink something first, I am thirsty._ Kyle poured Jessi a glass of punch and he had one himself. They went to watch the dancers while they drank. Josh and Andy were dancing widely, and people were forming a circle around them. Kyle smiled at their enthusiasm.

A romantic tune started, and Kyle guided Jessi to the dancing floor, they both were pretty comfortable with dancing, as Jessi had insisted on them practicing for the past 2 weeks, they had taken lessons, from Josh, Lori and Declan. They had also watch you tube videos on learning how to dance and borrowed some DVD's from the library.

Kyle had his hands around Jessi's waist, Jessi had her hands around Kyle's neck and her head was resting on his shoulder, they were dancing very close together, and enjoying their closeness. Then a more rapid tune started playing, they took turns at leading, with their connection and rapid reflexes, it seemed they were dancing as one unit.

Lori came and told Jessi, _let's go to touch up._ Kyle said, _in the mean time I'll get us some punch and cookies. _

After touching up, Lori went back to Declan and Jessi went to look for Kyle, she found him surrounded by 3 freshman girls that were openly flirting with him. Kyle was trying to get away without being rude. Jessi did not like it at all, in fact she felt hurt, and walked away from Kyle. Kyle immediately felt something was not right with Jessi; he walked away from the girls forgetting he did not want to be rude, they said_ what was that? Who do you think you are?_ Then they moved on.

Kyle caught up to Jessi and put his hands around her waist from behind and asked, _what is wrong sweetheart?_ _Nothing, _Jessi said in a tone that betrayed her feelings. _Please Jessi tell me what is wrong?_ Kyle insisted. _Nothing Kyle, I already told you. Lest go back to dancing._ Said an annoyed Jessi. She thought to herself, If he does not know why I am upset, I am sure not going to tell him.

Kyle and Jessi continued dancing, however Kyle still felt there was something wrong. At the end of the dance Kyle told Jessi, _come with me. _A hurt stubborn Jessi, said, _no, I want to go home._ Kyle now knew for certain that something was wrong, and he needed to get to the bottom of it. He knew how stubborn Jessi could be. So he caught her by surprise, lifted her up and threw her on his shoulder, then hurried toward the stairs that lead to the roof. Jessi was saying, _Kyle put me down right now. _However she was not struggling very hard to get away. When they got to the roof top Kyle put her down, however kept a firm hold on her. He asked again, _Jessi please tell me, what is wrong? _Jessi now was really getting angry, how could he not know? She raised her eyes to meet his and saw pain and confusion in them that melted her heart. She put her head on Kyle's chest and started sobbing away. Kyle held her lovingly and stroked her hair. He was fighting his own tears away.

Finally she calmed down and said in a low voice, _Kyle, why were you with those girls?_ Kyle responded after lifting her chin so he could look at her eyes, _Jessi you are the only one for me, I don't care about anyone else but you. We are soul mates. I don't know those girls; they approached me when I went to get the punch and cookies. I am sorry I hurt you. I should have walked away faster. I just did not want to be rude, but I ended being rude anyway, I left as soon as I felt something was wrong with you. They don't mean anything to me; you are everything to me. Will you please forgive me Jessi?_

Jessi looked and his pleading eyes, and gave him a soft Kiss at first, then she stick her tongue in to Kyle's mouth and the Kiss depended, it was a long kiss, at one point they felt like they were just one being, after 10 minutes they both needed to breath and broke the kiss, they were feeling dizzy, Jessi asked, _did you feel that Kyle?, I did Jessi it was wonderful._

When they recovered, Kyle went to a corner of the roof and retrieved a blanket, and a cooler that he had filled with sodas and chocolate strawberries. Declan had helped him to get it there. Jessi was very surprised and smiling. Kyle guided her to the blanket. Jessi said, _thank you Kyle, I am sorry I was so silly to get jealous over nothing. _Kyle said _no worries Jessi, I know that feeling_. Then he fed her a strawberry, and she fed him a strawberry, when they finished the strawberries Kyle laid dawn and Jessi lay by him resting her head on his shoulder. They looked at the stars for a while without a need to talk. Then Jessi said, _Kyle we should get a car. _Kyle responded, _Jessi cars are very expensive I don't think we can get one. _Jessi said, _I am not talking about a new car, I am thinking about a junker like that of Josh. We can get a job at the junk yard; they have 2 job openings for Saturdays. _Kyle thought about it and said, _that is a good idea, let's do it._

Kyle held Jessi in his arms and jumped down the roof, once he was sure there was no one around. Jessi was wearing high heels and did not want to ruin them.

Nicole and Stephen were not having a very good Valentine's Day. They were supposed to go out for dinner, however they lost their reservations as Stephen had to stay late at work, Nicole was a bit upset, but thought about the big floral arrangement Stephen had send her at work, and decided to let it go. They went out to McDonald's for dinner and were having a good time, until Nicole said; _Stephen you outdid yourself this year that floral arrangement is beautiful._ Stephen was confused, he had not send Nicole a floral arrangement, he said, _Nicole I did not send you a floral arrangement, I have this box of chocolates for you, and gave her the box._ Nicole said _then who sent it, the only thing it said was For Nicole with love. I don't know _said Stephen.

Stephen started thinking I wonder who sent those flowers to Nicole. She bought herself a new wardrobe and she is exercising, she does look very pretty. Could it be Lou, she started doing all this things after she return to work for him. I have not been spending enough time with her. I need to do something; it seems that all I do lately is work. It had been Emily who had sent the anonymous flowers to Nicole. Her plan of destabilizing the family was starting to work.

Kyle and Jessi went to the junk yard on Saturday morning and applied for the jobs, and the manager told them they would give them a call. On their way back they found Declan playing basketball at the park and joined him. There was a woman dressed in black, with sunglasses and a black scarf on her head sitting at a bench observing them.

* * *

I would like to thank my Beta reader JasonZ0654 for the review, and encouragement.

Mcaj, I used one of your ideas.

Reviews re appreciated.


	12. Sarah

Chapter 12

Sarah

Foss had looked into the pictures that Declan had taken at the mall. He was able to find out that the name of the woman was Shuang Cheng a Chinese immigrant. She was a powerful woman that together with her cousin had managed to build an empire. They owned a company that focused on Research and Development of new medications and medical technology, they also owned a solar power plant that provided electricity to a large part of the country. They had a company dedicated to the improvement of edible crops. She had other investments in different companies. She had recently acquired a large hospital in Seattle. She was extremely wealthy.

He was not able to find much about her children other than the twins were 19 years old and attending UW for their master's degree. The younger son was 16 years old, and was enrolled in a prestigious prep school. He was due to graduate High School, that May.

Kyle and Jessi were getting ready for their first day of work, they were wearing clothes that they did not mind getting dirty or ruined. Jessi had her hair tied in a ponytail. Nicole was drinking her coffee and said, _Good luck on your first day of work, I am so proud of you. _The rest of the family was still sleeping. Jessi said _thanks mom, _Kyle gave Nicole a kiss and said _we will be back at 6:30 pm._

Foss decided to follow Kyle and Jessi to their first day of work to make sure they would be safe_._ He had noticed some unusual things going on, and was concerned enough to hire an old friend of his to spend the night guarding the house of the Trager's. He also had instructed Declan to keep a close eye on them at school and inform him of any unusual activity.

Kyle and Jessi got to the junk yard at 6:45 a.m., the manager was waiting for them. He was a 22 year old, working there to help pay for college. He told them, _I am glad you are early. I will spend the day with you to teach you the ins and outs of the business. The only reason I hired you is because I did not get any adult applicants, so you better stay on your toes. Do you understand?_ Kyle and Jessi responded, _yes we understand Mr. Crum. _The supervisor said, _you can all me Jeff, I am not that old._

Tom was keeping an eye on things from his truck when he got a phone call, he said, _I will be there by tomorrow night. _Then he hang-up. A few minutes later he got another phone call this was from Ron the friend he had hired. Ron told him, _Tom the woman in the white car is in the area again. _Tom said, _I am on my way over there. Please head over to the junk yard to keep an eye on the kids._

Mrs. Cheng decided to park her car in front of the Trager house and wait. Tom Foss parked under a tree a few houses away from the Trager house.

Mrs. Cheng was struggling with a decision, after 15 minute she got out of her car and walked towards Tom's truck. Tom was surprised and got his gun ready and got out of the truck. Mrs. Cheng kept walking towards him with a calm friendly demeanor.

Mrs. Cheng said, _Hi Tom is good to see you after all these years._ Tom appeared to be shocked, it could not be, but he would recognize that voice anywhere. Then he looked in her eyes and realized that in fact he knew Mrs. Cheng. He was speechless. Mrs. Cheng said_, Tom I need to talk to you_. A stunned Tom walked towards his truck and opened the passenger's door for Mrs. Cheng and then he sat in the driver's seat.

Tom recovered his capacity to speak and said, _Sarah, is it possible, is that you? My name now is Shuang Cheng. I used to be known as Sarah, you can call me Shuang, Sarah is dead, and I want to keep it that way. _

Tom looked at her and said, _I don't understand, why? _Shuang told him_ It is a long story if you have time for one. I also need you to promise to keep my secret._

Tom responded _sure I do Sarah, I mean Shuang. I have as much time as you need, your secrets are safe with me. I would never betray a friend._

Shuang nodded her head and started, _20 years ago when you were away building your military career. I contacted you because I was in danger, unfortunately I never heard back from you. I don't know if you even got the message. In any case that does not matter anymore. I tried talking to Adam about it, but he would not listen, he was obsessed with making a pod child. He was very upset when I did not want for him to use my ova for the experiment, particularly because they had already been harvest. Shortly after I discovered I was pregnant, I tried to tell him, I don't think he even heard what I said; he was so involved in his work._

_The threats grew; I had to leave after I was shot at. I could not risk the child I was carrying. So I disappeared, there was no point in telling Adam, he had stopped listening to me. I took a flight to Los Angeles figuring I could get lost in that big city. _

_As destiny had it, I met George Cheng in that flight; he was a neurosurgeon that was moving back to L.A. We started talking; He asked me if I had a place to stay when I got to California. I said no, that I was planning to look for a boarding home, as I did not have that much money, until I was able to find a job. He told me that he had an extra room in his apartment, and that I could stay in it if I wanted. He said I could pay for it by keeping his house clean and cooking dinner for him, until I found a job. I agreed as I wanted to delay finding a job for as long as possible. I had not taken much money with me not to alert the people I was escaping from._

_George enjoyed talking to me and after I while I enjoyed it to. I could tell he was falling for me. I thought that would end soon enough. So I went ahead and told him I was expecting. He actually seemed happy about it and he proposed the next day, and told me that the child I was carrying would be his too. I accepted. I did like him and eventually I came to love him. However I could never love anyone the way I loved Adam. I told George my secrets and he accepted me for who I was. A few months later I delivered 2 healthy babies, a boy and a girl. I named the boy Adam, and the girl Ella. George said they brought good luck to him, because if it was not for them he would have never been able to convince me to marry him._

_After I had the babies, George bought a nice house by the beach with a nice backyard and a swimming pool; he said the children would enjoy it when they got older. He also had his cousin Shuang Cheng that had recently emigrated move in with us to help with the house chores and the children. He loved me so much he treated me like I was precious to him. He treated Adam and Ella as if they were his own children. I could not help but fall in love with him. We were a happy family. _

_I was naïve back then, so after 2 years past I thought Latnok would not be looking for me anymore. I was also confident that the new last name would prevent them from finding me. I decided to take a job in research for a pharmaceutical company. There were no problems at first. Then I started suspecting that someone was watching me. I convinced myself that it was just my imagination._

_George, Shuang and I were driving home after the ceremony where Shuang received her citizenship. My sister in-law had requested Ella and Adam to spend the night with her, she really loves them. So they were driving with her. Then a truck hit us 3 times until we went off the road, George and Shuang died before the paramedics got there. I got my faced smashed, and had a broken arm, that was lucky as I was expecting my third child. They airlifted me to the hospital. _

_Louis my sister in-law was a doctor there. She was my confident and knew everything that was going on. She came to identify me and said I was her cousin Shuang Cheng, my face was so badly damaged that I was unrecognizable, so they believed her. The car had exploded after they got me out. So the bodies were identified as those of George and Sarah Cheng, formerly Sarah Emerson. _

_The husband of Louis was a plastic surgeon in the hospital, he was the one that reconstructed my face, he did a great job, and he gave me Asian features as I was now Shuang Cheng. It would have been impossible to reconstruct my face to what it was. I was happy with my new face, it gave me freedom._

_The reason I am back in Seattle is that my twins, are attending UW, and my youngest son George wants to go there next year. George attended UW, so they consider it a family tradition. Adam and Ella have a pent-house near the campus, but they generally visit on the weekends. They would not visit if I was back in California._

Tom asked, _why did you find me?_

_I have some questions and I know you can answer them. I also know that you are trust worthy. _Shuang responded.

Tom said, _I will answer your questions if I can._

Shuang asked_, what do you know about Kyle Trager and Jessica Emerson? I know that Jessi must be my daughter; she looks exactly as I did at her age, and she also looks a lot like Ella. What about Kyle, he looks like a copy of Adam and of my son. Who is his mother? How did they come to be?_

Tom collected his thoughts and started, _you are right Jessi is your daughter. Kyle is the son of Adam and Grace. He does not know who his egg donor is, he has not asked, so I see no reason to tell him. Grace dose not care about him at all she considers him a biological computer._

_I know that Kyle was created by Adam, and was kept in a pod for almost 16 years, I saved him after he was scheduled for termination. I looked after him for 14 of the years he was at Zzyzx._

_I do not know who created Jessi she was kept a secret from me. I believe she was an unauthorized experiment; however I have confirmed that your ovum was used to create her. I could not get a name for the sperm donor; he was identified with a number only. She was created 6 months after Kyle. She was in the pod until a few months ago._

_I know that Adam did not intend to leave Kyle in the pod for that long but he lost control of Zzyzx. So the kids were treated as experiments for years. They basically were biological computers. I was told by Adam that Kyle was unconscious. The scientist at Zzyzx said that too. Kyle and Jessi say that they were conscious, and able to communicate with each other through the computer network. They were submitted to experiments that I did not know about, and now suffer from nightmares as a result. Adam asked me to protect Kyle, I also protect Jessi. They are irreplaceable assets and some groups are trying to kidnap them as they consider them their property. _

_I also train them, to help them to expand their abilities, and to learn how to defend themselves they are extraordinary. I know when they reach their full potential no one will want to mess with them. Until then I have to keep them safe._

Shuang asked_, what can you tell me about the Tragers?_

Foss started, _they love Kyle and Jessi as if they were their own. Stephen works in computers. Nicole is a clinical psychologist and has helped Kyle and Jessi a lot. She has helped them to learn social norms, how to interact with others, understanding humor, sarcasm and other expressions. She is also an excellent mother who is willing to sacrifice for them, I have seen it firsthand. The Trager's have 2 biological children Lori and Josh, they are good kids, and accept Jessi and Kyle as their siblings; they watch out for them at school, and help them to navigate the teenage social environment._ He concluded.

_Tom what happened to Jessi before she went to the Tragers I read her medical chart from urgent care and it seems she was very sick and malnourished. _Shuang asked with a concerned look.

Tom thought that was a though question to answer and after a moment of hesitation, started, _I bombed Zzyzx, after an attempt on Adams life. I did not know about Jessi until I had already set the explosives. I was going to try to get her out, when I saw Kyle who wanted to stop me. I got him out and the facility exploded. I thought Jessi had died. I am sorry Shuang, Jessi has forgiven me. She survived however, and made her way out of the fire. She was confused, disoriented and naked. She made it to the camp of a hunter who attacked her and cut her. Fortunately Kyle and Jessi are very strong so she was able to defend herself, took the jacket from the hunter and hid in a cave for a week. Then by fate, their connection or pure luck, Kyle ran in to her one night. They recognized each other, and apparently had been romantically involved since Zzyzx. I know Kyle is absolutely crazy about her. Kyle literally had to carry her to his home. Her cut had got infected; the only thing she was wearing was a jacket that was wet and covered in her own blood. She had not eaten in almost 8 days, she was also dehydrated. Kyle took care of her through the night, and the next day Nicole and Stephen took charge of the situation, and got Jessi everything she needed including medical care._

Tom turned to look at Shuang who had tears running down her face. He said, _I am sorry, I should have gone back to look for her, and not assumed she was dead. _Shuang gave Tom a hug and told him, _Tom is not your fault. I should have never let Adam harvest my ova. I never wanted for my children to be experiments. Then I ran away and never looked back. Now my worst fear has come true and Jessi is the one paying for the mistakes that I and others made._ Shuang cried on Tom's shoulder for a few minutes.

After Shuang composed herself she looked at Tom and said, _thanks for protecting Jessi. The Tragers sound like great people, I owe them so much... Tom, Is Jessi happy?_

Tom answered with certainty, _ Yes she is. She enjoys attending school, she has friends. She considers Nicole and Stephen her parents and adores them. Kyle and her spend most of their time together, and are really good for each other; they balance each other out. Today is their first day of work. It was Jessi's idea; they are working at a junk yard. Jessi wants to buy a junker car and fix it. They are both extraordinary with mechanical things. They will probably end up upgrading it so much that I would not be surprised if it is able to fly by the time they are done. _Tom smiled proudly while he talked about them.

Shuang said, _you love them don't you Tom?_ _Of course I loved them. How could I not, I spent 14 years with Kyle, and both of them are the children of my best friends. I love them as much as if they were mine. _Tom responded. _What about your life and your family Tom. _Shuang inquired. _ Since my wife and daughter died, 10 years ago, I have no life. My only reason for existing is protecting those kids and Adam. I am sorry, _said Shaung. Tom just shook his head sadly.

_Did you say protecting Adam? I thought he had died a few months ago, _said Shuang, with a small smile and a sparkle in her hazel-green eyes. Tom knew Shuang(Sarah) would not hurt Adam so he said, _most people think he is dead, but he survived the attempt on his life, unfortunately he is in a self-induced coma, trying desperately to heal his body. After you left he was never the same, he became quiet and introvert, the final blow was when he lost control of Zzyzx. He has been shot on several occasions. The worst part is that he overused his brain, and that really took a toll on his body. I hope he makes it out of the coma. Can I see him? _Asked Shuang. _I think that can be arranged _said Tom.

_Is there anything that you need Tom? Please do not hesitate to ask. I will get you whatever you need for you and the children. Do you have enough resources to keep them safe? _Said Shuang.

Tom thought about it for a few minutes and said, _I have enough resources to protect the children for now, plus they are getting better and better at protecting themselves. If I have a crisis situation however it would be good if I could call you and maybe have access to some of your security resources._

_Here is my personal phone number Tom, don't hesitate to call. I want Jessi to be safe. I need to think what I'm going to do now. I certainly do not want to abandon Jessi. I have seen her a few times from a distance, and I already love her the same way I love my other children. It is strange how a mother falls in love with her children the moment you see them. I wish I could take her home with me. But it is more complicated than that and she is in a safe place now. I think for now I will do things indirectly, until I figure this out. Would you mind if I stop where Jessi is working, I have missed so much already. I would like to witness her first day of work._ Shuang said. Tom gave her directions to the junk yard and said he would call her to arrange her seeing Adam. He also promised he would call if the kids were in danger.

Nicole decided to drop by the junk yard, as Kyle and Jessi had forgotten their lunch; it gave her a good excuse to take some pictures for the family album. She had taken pictures of Lori and Josh on their first day of work.

Things were slow at the junk yard, so Jeff was teaching Kyle and Jessi how to keep inventory, where to go to find parts, and the pricing catalog. Nicole walked in and said, _hi, Kyle, hi Jessi you forgot your lunch._ Kyle and Jessi looked at Nicole and Kyle said, _thank you mom, we thought we would have to skip lunch. _Shuang was coming in to the junk yard, and decided to stop by the door, when she heard the exchange. Jessi said, _Jeff this is our mother Nicole, mom this is Jeff our boss_. _Nice to meet you Jeff _Nicole said. _Nice to meet you Mrs. Trager_ Jeff said. Then Jeff turned to look at Kyle and Jessi and said, _I thought you two were a couple how can you have the same mother? _Kyle explained, _we are adopted, and we were adopted as teenagers_. _That explains it _said Jeff.

Nicole said, _guys do you mind if I take a picture of you with Jeff, for the family album. Is that okay with you Jeff? Sure _said Jeff. Nicole took a few pictures and said, _I will see you tonight. _Kyle and Jessi went to her and gave her a hug before she left. Shuang was happy she witnessed the exchange it was clear to her that Nicole consider the children hers. It made her feel better about leaving Jessi in her current situation.

Shuang came in to the junk yard, and Jessi said, _Good afternoon,_ _I am Jessi how may I help you today?_ Shuang requested a random handle for a car. Jessi said, _give me 5 minutes and I will be back with it. _Jeff said, _Jessi are you sure we have that part I don't see it in the inventory. I am sure Jeff. I saw it this morning in the new shipment when you gave us the tour of the junk yard._ Jessi left and 5 minutes later she was back with the requested handle. Shuang paid for the part and left, she had to stop herself from hugging Jessi. She wanted to hug her so badly.

Jeff said, _good job Jessi. I did not know we had that part; you have a good eye for finding parts._

Kyle and Jessi left work till 6:00 pm. Jeff gave them a pair of keys to open the junk yard the following week, he did not think he had to be present, but told them to call with questions.

Tom told Declan to inform Kyle and Jessi that he would be gone for a week. He introduced him to Ron, and told him not to show up for morning training, just in the evenings, as Ron was an experienced sniper, and would be helping with his training. Kyle and Jessi could take the week off. He also told Declan to call him daily and report the situation.

Tom went over to the cabin to evaluate the situation. Adam was still in a coma, the nurse that was taking care of Adam was a friend of Tom from the military. He said that Adam's condition had not changed, and that he was tolerating the tube feedings and IV liquids well.

After making sure that the cabin and the surrounding area was safe, Tom Called Shuang(Sarah), and they agreed she would visit the next morning.


	13. Adam and Sarah

Chapter 13

Adam and Sarah

It was Sunday morning and Kyle and Jessi were looking forward to a week off from training. They were at the park getting ready to play basketball when Amanda approached them. _Hi Jessi, Hi Kyle, _she said. _Hi Amanda, _Kyle and Jessi responded._ I thought you might want to come and hear me playing the piano. I would like to keep my word to you Jessi. My mom is going to sell my piano, so we better do it soon. _Jessi thought about it and said, _would you be able to play now?_ _Sure,_ Amanda responded.

They were walking to Amanda's house and Kyle asked, _why is your mom selling your piano? _Amanda answered, _we are having economic problems, and she is selling my car too. Since my dad died it is hard for my mom, she is working as hard as she can, but my dad used to make more money._ _I am sorry to hear that Amanda. _Kyle said.

When they arrived at Amanda's house, Amanda offered them a soda that they accepted and then she sat down and played the piano for them.

Over at the cabin, Foss was pacing hoping Adam would not take a turn for the worse when Sarah made contact with him. He was questioning his own judgment. It was too late to change plans, as he saw Sarah's car pulling in. Darn he had to remember to call her Shuang.

Foss went over and greeted Shuang, and told her where to park. Then he covered her car, and closed a door behind it.

Once they were inside the cabin. Shuang stood and looked at everything, she said, _it almost looks the same as 20 years ago. I remember Adam and I use to spend some weekends and vacations here._

Tom said,_ Adam did not want to change things that much. But we did build a basement and that is where Adam is. Would you like something to drink? _

Shuang responded, _no thanks, maybe later. Tom, when do I get to see Adam? _Tom smiled; she was still as direct and impatient as before._ Follow me this way. _Tom said.

They went to a bookcase, and Tom pressed some buttons, the bookcase separated in the middle and gave way to a door, Tom entered a password, opened the door, and led Shuang down a set of stairs. They then came to a medium size TV room. There was a door, which had a pad in the form of a round piano key board. Tom started touching the pad, and Shuang recognized the tune as, She could be you , it brought a flash of good and bad memories, she shook her head trying to clear her mind. The door opened.

The light was dim in the room. Shuang waited for her vision to adjust, she heard the beeping sound of monitors. Then she saw a stretcher, and a human figure lying on it covered with a white sheet. Her heart was pounding; to see Adam after all this years. She wished it would have been under better circumstances. But it was what it was; she had learned to accept life as it came.

Shuang started walking towards Adam, and then she stood by the stretcher looking at his face. He had aged so much since she had seen him last, more than would be expected. But he was still handsome, even in his comatose state. She held his hand and gently put her head on his chest. Then she tried to reach out to him. She had not tried to contact anyone in that way for 20 years, she wondered if she still could do it.

At first she felt nothing, then a dim feeling of connection, and then a full connection she saw herself transported to the meadow where Adam and her use to meet through their mental connection. She saw a figure dressed in a hospital gown at a distance, she knew it was Adam. She called out and said, _Adam._ Then she started walking towards him, wondering if he would recognize her with her new face.

They were standing face to face. Adam reached out to touch her face, and said _Sarah you kept your promise, I guess I am dead and you are coming to guide me away. I know I do not deserve it, but thank you for being here._ The eyes of Adam were full of wonder and love. Sarah could not resist and gave him a hug. Adam whispered in to her ear, _I like heaven already, is it like this all the time?_

Sarah looked at him and told him, _Hmm, Adam you are not in heaven. _Adam looked disappointed and said, _Oh! Then you must be a figment of my imagination, I must be dreaming. _Sarah said,_ no, you are not dreaming. I am here. _Adam now looked really confused. She also noticed he looked tired.

Sarah took his hand and guided him towards a bench, and then she explained, _Adam I did not die years ago, I just disappeared for safety reasons. I came back to Seattle and Tom told me you were here in a coma, so I had to come and see you._ Tears started running down Adams face. He said, _Sarah, thank you for coming. I know I do not deserve it. I am sorry you have to see me in a coma. You being here mean so much to me. I hope you can forgive me…I was such an idiot, and I mistreated you so badly._

Sarah, put a finger on his mouth and said,_ Adam I am not here to r elive the past. I have learned to accept what life has to offer, so let's just start fresh._ Then she gave him a hug. They were both crying, without breaking the embrace Sarah said, _I want to help you. I will spend as much time with you as I can. I remember in the past we would heal faster if we stayed close. It should still work_. Adam did not know what to say, so he just held Sarah closer and whispered,_ Thank you. _

Sarah continued,_ I am going to break the link now, it takes too much of your energy, but I am not leaving, you will still feel me close. Concentrate on healing. When I leave you will know it. I promise that I will be back. Then she gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked away,_

After Shuang broke the link she opened her eyes, and looked at Adam's face. He had some tears on it and she gently cleaned them off.

Tom approached her and asked, _would you like a chair? Yes thank you Tom and I will have something to drink, preferably with sugar. I forgot how much energy the link takes._

Tom came back a few minutes later with a glass of cranberry juice and a couple of chairs. He sat by Sarah and Adam. Sarah asked, _Tom who is taking care of Adam? I have a nurse with him 24/7, and old friend from the military, Jimmy. I wish I could get a doctor to see him more often, but Mike is still in active duty, and cannot fly over here very often._ _Of course I keep the cabin and the surrounding area monitored. I have Donald a good friend that I trust, guarding the area. The only other person that knows Adam is here is Brian. Adam and he had a fall out, but I know Brian still cares about Adam, and would not hurt him. He comes every 2 weeks and spends some time with Adam that helps me not to come as often_.

Shuang said, _Tom I would like to spend some time with Adam to help him to heal faster. Also I have a MD and a PhD, I would like to examine Adam, and help to monitor his medical condition. I live close by and can come much more often than your friend._

Tom said, _that sounds great Shuang. Please feel free to examine him and to order any tests. I will make sure they get done. We can arrange a schedule for you to come. I will make sure Brian is away while you are here._

_That sounds good._ Shuang said and then she closed her eyes, and got as close to Adam as she could.

Tom decided to go upstairs to keep an eye on the monitors as Donald and Jimmy were taking some time off.

Amanda finished her improvised concert and walked Kyle and Jessi to the door. Kyle, Jessi and Amanda noticed that their friends were talking about something in the Trager's front yard. So they walked over.

Jeremiah was saying, _I found some secret caves. Hillary and I are going to explore them. _Lori said,_ I want to go too. _Then Josh asked Andy,_ do you want to go? Of course I want to go you dumb head. _Hillary looked at Kyle, Jessi and Amanda, and said, _are you coming guys?_ Jessi responded, _count Kyle and I in. I will go to, _Amanda said. Then Kyle said, _Let me call Declan and see if he wants to go. _Declan was bored at home, so he told Kyle he would be there in a few minutes.

The enthusiastic group left in Declan's SUV, and Jeremiah's car. It was too late to turn back when Declan, Kyle and Jessi realized where they were headed too. After parking by the side of the road they started walking towards Zzyzx tunnels.

Declan stayed back considering what to do; he did not like the idea off calling Foss as he knew he would be furious. He decided to call him anyway, as he felt responsible for Kyle's and Jessi's safety.

Foss phone rang, he saw it was Declan calling, _yes Declan why are you calling? Foss we are at the old Zzyzx facility and abut to get in the tunnels. _Declan heard Foss cursing, and then saying _what are you stupid Kids doing there, did I not tell you not to go to the woods? Declan can you stop Kyle and Jessi from going in the tunnels._ Declan responded,_ Let me see, no they are already in._ Foss said, _Declan do not go in, stay out and monitor the entrance to the tunnel. Do you remember how to distract the enemy? I am sending Ron over there. I will do my best._ Declan said. _I know kid just don't get yourself killed. I am glad you called._

Foss called Ron and informed him of the situation. Shuang was standing by the stairs and had heard the conversation. She asked, _what is going on Tom?_

Tom said,_ those stupid Kids, why do I have to protect teenagers? _He lamented. Then he continued, _Kyle and Jessi are inside of the tunnels of Zzyzx with some friends, if they don't get killed I am going to kill them. I clearly told them the last time they got attacked not to go to the area. I cannot leave either, so I will just have to trust Ron and Declan to protect them._

_They got attacked? _Shuang asked. _They did a few weeks ago, obviously they did not learn from the experience, those darn scientist in Zzyzx, gave them high pain tolerance, so I guess they don't remember how beaten up they got_, _so much for holographic memory_. Tom said.

Shuang was alarmed after hearing Tom rant, and learning about the attack. She said, _Tom I can send my security team over there to protect the children. _

Tom thought about it and said, _yes you should do that, let me give you the coordinates. Please ask them, not to show themselves unless is necessary. I don't want to call too much attention on Jessi and Kyle. Here is the picture of Ron, so you can send it to them. The others are teenagers and easy to identify._

While Tom informed Ron and Declan of what was going on, Shuang called Ms. Ortiz who said she would take care of things personally and take a 15 men team with her, to save time they would use helicopters.

Jessi and Kyle were in the tunnels of Zzyzx, with their friends. They separated from the group, and started having flashes of memories coming to them. Then Jessi sat down and they separated, she was having flashbacks to the explosion, and holding her head. Kyle did not notice and kept walking he came to a room and went to the wall, he started punching numbers on a pat and opened a safe out of the safe he got a box and started walking back. He still was in a trance like state when he heard his friends saying, hurry up Kyle it smells like gas in here, he followed his friends through the tunnel and got out.

When all were out he said, _Jessi, where is Jessi?_ He asked in a panic, and then got back in the tunnel. He went inside and started looking for Jessi, he found her through their connection. She was sitting in what used to be the room of her pod. She was in a trance state and the gas was starting to affect her. She looked up at Kyle confused. Kyle said, _Jessi is going to be okay. _Then he lifted her up and got out as fast as he could as he was starting to feel the effects of the gas too.

Outside Lori was starting to panic especially after she saw her pod siblings coming out and collapsing on the grass. She kneeled by them and started crying hysterically.

At a distance Ms. Ortiz was evaluating the situation. Clearly she needed to send a paramedic to give medical attention to the kids, so she called the ambulance she had taken as part of the team.

Out of nowhere an ambulance showed up, the teenagers were too shocked to question how an ambulance would know about their predicament. The only one that knew what was going on was Declan. He was happy he had notified Foss.

The paramedics came out and after evaluating Kyle and Jessi got them on a stretcher, in to the ambulance and put oxygen masks on them, Lori and Josh insisted on riding with Kyle and Jessi saying they were siblings. Declan followed the ambulance as well as Jeremiah and the other kidsShuang was at the emergency room of her hospital waiting for the ambulance to arrive, she decided to take care of Kyle and Jessi personally, as she did not know how different they would be from regular teenagers. She knew their secrets had to be protected.

Lori, Josh, Declan and the others were told to wait in the lobby of the ER. Kyle and Jessi were pushed in to a fancy room of the ER that was reserved for VIP's. Shuang started to examine them, order an IV, blood gases, and some other test, they got hooked to an EKG machine and the oxygen masks were kept. She ordered for them to be changed in to hospital gowns.

Shuang personally got Jessi changed in to a hospital gown, there was no one looking, so she took advantage of the opportunity and gave Jessi a long hug and a kiss on the cheek. Jessi murmured _mom, _still unconscious. Jessi had felt the love and caring coming from the hug, and it felt just like Nicole's hugs. After hearing Jessi Shuang started crying, and hugged Jessi again.

At the lobby Nicole and Stephen were walking to the window to get information, Lori and Josh had already told them what happened. The receptionist said, _Mr. and Mrs. Trager?_ Stephen answered, _yes we are the parents of Kyle Trager and Jessica Emerson we would like to see them and get information_. _Please wait someone will be with you shortly_. The receptionist said.

A social worker came out and guided Stephen, Nicole and the rest to a private waiting room with a TV and comfortable couches, a refrigerator full of sodas and snacks as well as coffee maker brewing fresh coffee. She told them to wait there and the doctor would come over in a few minutes.

Nicole and Stephen got alarmed wondering why they were taken to a private waiting room. Were the kids in such bad shape?

Shuang entered the waiting room and walked towards Nicole and Stephen, she said _Hi I am Dr. Cheng are you Mr. and Mrs. Trager. _Nicole responded, _yes, we are the parents of Jessi and Kyle, how are they doing? _Shuang noticed how concern Stephen and Nicole looked, she said, _they have methane poisoning, but they are getting better, they should be waking up any minute now. It was lucky they were able to get out of those tunnels before collapsing. _

Nicole and Stephen let out a breath of relief, and Stephen asked, _can we see them? Sure come with me,_ said Shuang. They followed Shuang, and Lori and Josh were right behind them.

They entered the room, and Nicole rushed towards them, she hugged each one and gave them a kiss. Stephen followed and did the same thing. Then Lori and Josh hugged them with tears in their eyes. Murmuring, _we are sorry we should have never gone there._

Shuang noticed how much the Trager's cared for Jessi and Kyle. Foss was right they loved them as their own. She was happy they had a family; she had not had a family growing up. She had spent most of her childhood in boarding schools.

Shuang sat down to wait. The Trager's were so worried, that they did not question why the doctor was waiting with them. Nicole was holding Jessi's hand, Stephen was sitting by Kyle, and they had send Lori and Josh back to the waiting room despite their protest.

After an hour of waiting Kyle opened his eyes and said _Jessi, where is Jessi?_ _She is right here son, _Stephen answered. Kyle said, _please get me closer to her, you know we heal faster if we are close. _Stephen got up and pushed Kyle's bed as close as possible to Jessi's bed. Kyle grabbed Jessi's hand, and looked at her with adoring eyes.

Jessi woke up with a terrorized scream 45 minutes after Kyle. She was having nightmares about Zzyzx. Nicole immediately hugged her and told her_. I am here Jessi it is mom, you are safe now. Mom I was having nightmares about Zzyzx, they were injecting me and it was so painful._ Jessi cried. Nicole repeated, _Jessi you are safe now, I am here, and I will not let anyone hurt you._

Kyle got closer to Jessi, put an arm around her and said, _love we are safe, we are never going back to Zzyzx, it was bombed and most of the scientist died._ Jessi looked at Kyle with loving eyes and buried her head in his chest and started sobbing, she said, _I know Kyle, it is just that it seemed so real._ Kyle hugged her and let her cry. He knew how real the nightmares could be.

Shuang was happy she had decided to treat the children personally, as they got better incredibly fast. They were able to go home that same night.

* * *

Shuang (Sarah) POV

_I was in my room lying in my bed, trying to go to sleep. So much had happened in the past few weeks._

_I had learned that I had a daughter that I did not know about, she was beautiful and smart. I already loved her so much. I could not help but to be concerned about her. I did not know everything from her past, but what I knew was not good. I knew she had been created in Zzyzx, and kept in one of those pods that Adam invented for years. Whatever happened to her in those years was not good. I had seen her wake up screaming from a nightmare. She talked about some injections and pain, and appeared very scared. I thought I was partially responsible for what happened to her, if I had just come back to check on things, maybe I could have got her out sooner._

_I was confused as of what to do about Jessi now. On one hand my maternal instincts told me that I should try to get custody of her, and bring her home with me to love and take care off. I wanted her to have the same opportunities as my other children. Instead she was attending a public school, working in a junk yard, and living in a middle class neighborhood. There was really nothing wrong with that. I knew it was very lucky that the Tragers had taken her in, and I knew they loved her. I would be forever grateful to them for that. I just wanted for her to have so much more. _

_On the other hand I had to consider the safety of my other children. If I brought Jessi home, would I have to worry about Latnok again? I knew firsthand how dangerous they were, even with my extensive security team, someone could still get hurt. I was sad about what Latnok had turned in to. That was not what Adam and I had created it for. _

_Then I had to consider Jessi's feelings. I did not know how she would react to me, would she be happy to meet me? Or would she be angry and resentful? She seemed happy living with the Trager's, she had everything she needed there. Kyle was with her there, and that had to be considered. Kyle and Jessi reminded me so much of what I and Adam used to be. Except Kyle seemed much more in tuned with Jessi that Adam ever was with me. I certainly hoped they would not end up like us. _

_After considering everything, I made my mind up. I would keep my self-informed of Jessi's life. Help Tom with keeping her safe. I was planning to go to her school and become a donor, so she could have access to a better education. I thought I would also look for an opportunity to get to know her better and then I would be able to make a better decision. I knew at some point I would tell her the truth, but I wanted to time it right._

_Then I started thinking about Adam, I would go and visit him tomorrow. I had been going to see him 3 times a week, and stayed overnight. I had got him a hospital bed with a water mattress, instead of the stretcher he was in before. I had also taken charge of his health. I had gradually increased his feedings to help his body to heal. I had also put him on antibiotics for a while to treat a urine infection. Now I made sure his catheter got changed regularly. When I visited, I spend some time exercising his arms and legs, to try to maintain his muscle mass. He was just so wasted. It hurt me to see him like that._

_It was not that Tom had done a bad job with him, by no means. He had made sure he got everything he needed and his care was adequate. I wanted his care to be excellent. Tom had so much on his plate; he certainly was going above and beyond the call of duty. I did not even know if he was getting paid for all he was doing. When I tried to find out he would change the topic._

* * *

It was Friday evening and Shuang was driving to see Adam. Ms. Ortiz had a helicopter flying over the area when Shuang was there.

Shuang got out of her car, opened the trunk, and got some clean sheets and a clean pair of pajamas for Adam. She did not like to see him in a hospital gown. She had bought some special PJ's for him that accommodated all the wires and tubes that he needed to be hooked to. She also took out the groceries that she would need.

Shuang went in to Adam's room and walked to him, she gave him a kiss on the cheek and said, _Hi Adam._ Then she greeted Jimmy and told him, _I will be staying through the night in case you want to take some time off. Has there been any change in Adam's condition?_

Jimmy had never asked her name, he said, _no Doc he is the same. I will go to watch some TV and I will sleep upstairs. Call me if you need me Doc._

After Jimmy left, Shuang started taking care of Adam. She was talking to him and telling him what she was going to do, _Adam I am going to give you a sponge bath, shampoo your hair and shave you. _She got his top off and lovingly washed his arms, his chest, his neck and his back, after drying him up, and covering him with a blanket, she took his pants off and washed his lower body, she also changed his urine catheter, and obtained a sample for testing. Then she used some special shampoo to wash Adams hair. It just needed minimal rinsing. She also cleaned his ears, and washed his face. Then she proceeded to shave him.

Shuang called Jimmy to help her to change Adam's bed. After she personally got him dressed in the clean PJ's. She got her own PJ's on and claimed in bed with him. She was happy she could take care of Adam. She could not believe how much she still loved him. When she first started visiting him, she realized that he was only getting a sponge bath once a week, and his bed and gown were only change once a week too. She hated seeing him unkept. She remembered how meticulous he had always been with his hygiene and appearance. Now she was bathing him, shaving him and changing him each time she visited. He looked much better, and the condition of his skin was improving. She also was taking care of his oral hygiene and having the nurse clean his teeth and gums daily.

Shuang was lying by Adam, and had an arm around him. Then something happened. Adam made contact with her, which meant his coma was less profound, as he had been aware of her presence. Before it had always been her contacting him. Adam said through the mental link, _Sarah, you came again, it is so good to see you. _Shuang said, _of course I came, I enjoy spending time with you. _Adam took her hands and kissed them then he said, _thank you for taking care of me. I think I am getting better. _Shuang smiled at him and said, _when are you planning to come out of your coma?_ Adam said, _I don't know. It started as a self-induced coma to try to repair my body, but it has taken a life of its own, I don't have control over it. _Shuang said,_ don't worry about it. I think the coma is lighter as you knew I was here. Next time I come I will bring an EEG machine to look at the pattern of your brain activity._

Adam asked, _why are you being so good to me? I don't deserve it. _Shaung looked in to his eyes and told him, _look Adam it was not all your fault. I was emotionally unstable back then. I can see how people convinced you that I was imagining things. I was the one that ran away and never looked back. I love you Adam, we are not young anymore, not everyone gets a second chance, let's just take it._

Adam said, _I love you too and_ _I will do whatever you say. I am not as stupid as I was when I was younger. If I had listened to you, you would have never left. You would have been there to guide me. I made so many mistakes. I was too naïve, I lost control of everything that was dear to me. Now Latnok is a dangerous group, Madacorp is a for profit organization. I have to thank Tom for bombing Zzyzx that was the worst of all my mistakes._

Shuang said, _not all is lost Adam, when you get better; we might be able to do something about it. It bothers me that the organizations that I helped you start have become so misguided._

Adam looked at Shaung hesitated and then asked, _Sarah may I ask you a question? Sure Adam you can ask me anything you want. _Shuang said. Adam started_ after I thought you were dead. I learned how to use my holographic memory. I went over all the memories that I had of you. I went over the last day's we spend together, and I realized that you told me you were expecting our baby, and that I did not even hear what you said. I have spent many years trying to find that baby as I thought you were dead. Sarah did you have our baby?_

Shuang did not see that coming, she took a breath and started, _yes Adam I not only had one but I had our twins, I named the boy Adam, he looks just like you, but he has my eye color. I named the girl Ella, she looks like I use to look before my accident, and she has your eyes. They are 19 years old, and attending UW for their master's degree. They are a little smarter than we are. They proved that theory of Professor Kern who thought our intelligence would be hereditary._

Adam asked, _did you have to raise them alone?_ Shuang said, _no I got married before I gave birth to them to a man that was absolutely crazy about me even if I was pregnant. I have a 16 year old son from him. But Latnok found me and killed my husband; we had not even been married 3 years. I never got married again, but I had the help of my sister in-law and her husband, who adore my children. They could not have children, and decided to adopt just a few years ago._

Adam said, _I am glad you did not have to do it alone. I am also happy that you found a man that loved you as you deserved. I am sorry Latnok killed him. _Adam was sincere about what he said; he had always wanted Sarah to be happy, even if it was not with him.

Shaung looked at him, knowing he meant what he said and told him, _when you come out of the coma, I am sure our twins will want to meet you._ Adam smiled hoping they would want to meet him; he would not blame them if they didn't. He thought he was a bad father not just to them, but also to Kyle, abandoning him in Zzyzx. It had never been his intention to abandon his children, but it did not matter, he had done it anyway. He forgot that he had looked for his and Sarah's child since he realized they had one. He also forgot how he had fought to get Kyle out and how he had paid Tom to protect him. That was the only reason that Kyle was alive.

Shuang and Adam were tired, they broke the mental link and Shuang went to sleep hugging Adam.

* * *

I would like to thank my Beta reader JasonZ0654 for the review, and encouragement.

M caj, Thanks for your encouragement. I am glad you like the story.

Reviews are appreciated. Please review


	14. Spring

Chapter 14

Spring

Stephen was talking to his children_, Lori, Josh, Kyle and Jessi_ _the end of your punishment is tomorrow. I hope you have learned something from this experience. Remember just because your friends do something it does not mean you have to do the same. _Lori was rolling her eyes. Josh was not paying attention. Kyle was thinking that Stephen was right. Jessi was thinking that she did not want to die; maybe she should listen to Stephen.

Kyle and Jessi were happy that being grounded was over. They had been grounded for a month. Today they had to go to the junk yard to work. They were excited, because they had put enough money together to buy a Junker car, plus they were getting a 30% employee discount.

The day at the junk yard went very fast. Jeff came at the end of the day so Kyle and Jessi could buy the car. They were getting a Jaguar xjs 1980 convertible. The car had been in a bad wreck, and needed a lot of work, the engine also needed to be reconstructed, some parts were missing. Jeff asked them, _guys are you sure you want to buy this car. I honestly don't know if it is even repairable. We mostly bought it for the parts and the metal._

Kyle and Jessi liked it and were sure they could get it working, and were planning to make some improvements. So Kyle said, we_ are sure, we know it needs a lot of work, but we have the time._

After the buying process was over, Jeff told them, _I am going to deliver it for you, it is on the house._ Kyle and Jessi helped load the car on the tow truck, and guided Jeff to their house. Stephen and Josh came to see the car. Josh said_ another car with potential. _Stephen wondered how they were going to get that piece of scrap metal working. But he said, _nice car kids. Thanks Dad _said Jessi and gave him a happy, innocent smile. The smile made Stephen wonder if Kyle and Jessi had been ripped off.

Kyle and Jessi spend Sunday working on their car, the first thing they needed to do was to work on the shell. They were pounding on it, but mostly using their abilities to straighten it out. They were mentally manipulating the metal, and also heating it to make it easier to work with. By the end of the day the shell looked perfect. Using their mental abilities for so long had, Kyle and Jessi exhausted, so after dinner they went right to bed.

At Beachwood High Principal Hooper, was dressed in his best suit. Mrs. Cheng a powerful business woman and scientist was visiting the school to consider supporting some of the programs, and possibly funding some new programs.

Shuang came to the school in her Limousine, and walked to the entrance, the hall way was full of kids some were heading to the cafeteria others to class. Kyle and Jessi were walking to the cafeteria, when Kyle said,_ Jessi look there is Dr. Cheng. _Jessi impulsive as always grabbed Kyles hand and pulled him saying, _let's go to say Hi and to thank her._

The two teenagers walked to Dr. Cheng and Jessi said. _Hi Dr. Cheng_, _I am Jessi and this is Kyle. You treated us a few weeks ago in the ER, and we just wanted to thank you._ For some reason that Jessi did not understand she liked Dr. Cheng, and wanted to thank her, it was really not like her to go and thank people other than her parents. Kyle was surprised, and thought that maybe Jessi finally understood the meaning of gratitude.

Dr. Cheng of course was delighted to see Jessi she said, _Hi Jessi, Hi Kyle, I remember you from the E.R., I am happy to see you are doing well. Would you mind guiding me to the office of principal Hooper?_ _We will be glad to, follow us_ said Kyle. Dr. Cheng made some small talk with them, and thanked them for guiding her to the office of principal Hooper.

Mr. Hooper greeted Dr. Cheng enthusiastically, and introduced himself saying _I am Bradford Hooper, the principal of Beachwood High we are delighted to have you with us today, Dr. Cheng._ Shuang said, _Hello principal Hooper, I am happy to be here. Beachwood High has a good reputation in the community. I decided to visit as part of my outreach program to the community. If your school is chosen, I will help to increase your funding for certain programs. I will also implement a program for students that are drawn to science to participate in a weekly scientific club, and the best students in that program will be offered a summer internship at one of my facilities, depending on the student interest._

After discussing the details, Shuang asked, Principal Hooper. _Tell me what is the name of your brightest students?_

Mr. Hooper could not hide his animosity toward the Trager children, he said_ as far as grades it would be Kyle Trager and Jessica Emerson. I have to warn you that those kids are nothing but trouble, the boy is adopted and was in a detention center. The Trager's claim that Jessica is their niece, however I suspect she might have come from a detention center too. You might not want to waste your time with them; they will probably grow up to be criminals._

Then Mr. Hooper mentioned the name of another 5 bright students, and complemented each one of them. The way principal Hooper talked about Jessi and Kyle made Shuang angry, she had to take deep breaths to calm herself down. She wondered why Mr. Hooper disliked them. She thought she would have to ask Tom how Kyle had ended up in a detention center, he seemed like a good kid to her.

Shuang said, _Mr. Hooper I have decided to fund your school under some conditions. As far as your 7 brightest students, I would like to start a discussion group with them either before or after school. It is important, if you are not able to get them to participate, then the funding will be cut. I am especially interested in Kyle Trager and Jessica Emerson attending, as an educator you must know, that people can change given a chance. I also want them to be part of all the programs that I am funding. Is that clear, Mr. Hooper._

Principal Hooper put on his best smile and said_ that is a brilliant idea Dr. Cheng, I will make sure Jessica and Kyle are involved in all the programs that you are generously contributing too._ He thought that it would be a waste of time to have those 2 involved, but Dr. Cheng was not only funding new programs, she was also contributing money for the AP program, the remedial program. She was talking about refurbishing the school laboratory, and updating the computer lab. If she wanted Kyle and Jessi in the programs, he would make sure they were in them.

Principal Hooper called Kyle and Jessi in to his office and asked them to sit down, he started, _Kyle, Jessi. Beachwood High is going to be having some new programs that I am sure you will want to participate in. The first program is going to be a discussion group for our 7 most talented students, you included. It will take place on Wednesday mornings from 6:45 am to 7:45 am, breakfast will be provided. It starts this week. _

Jessi wondered why they needed to attend another boring discussion group, after all she knew Kyle and she would know more about the topic that anyone else the teacher included. So she said, _we exercise in the morning before school, I don't think we will be able to make it._

Principal Hooper now looked angry and yelled, _How can exercise be more important than school. Jessica and Kyle I expect you to be present at the group. We have a donor for the school, and the donor wants the 7 brightest students in that group or she will cut off the funding. I don't care about your excuses just be there._

Kyle realized that Jessi was getting ready to argue with principal Hooper and said, _we will be there principal Hooper. We don't want the funding to be cut. Mr. Hooper would you mind if we use the showers in the locker rooms in the morning, of that way we can come to school directly from exercise. Our trainer is very strict._ _That would be fine, just be on time._ Mr. Hooper wondered why Kyle and Jessi needed a trainer; after all they did not participate in sports.

Kyle and Jessi were jogging to the warehouse for evening training. Kyle was saying, _are you still upset with me Jessi, you know we don't even need to get up earlier, we can just run over to Beachwood high right from training, and you would not want for the funding to be cut, right?. It is just a small sacrifice._ Jessi said, _Kyle you and your generous ideas. I don't mind getting to school early, it is just that discussion groups can be so boring, the kids and the teachers are so dumb._ Kyle smiled, sometimes Jessi could be so blunt he said, _Jessi you know they are not dumb, is just that our brains are so much more advanced. I tell you what, we can challenge each other._ Now Jessi liked that idea and said, _fine Kyle but remember I am smarter. _Kyle continued, _faster. And stronger. _Jessi concluded with a smile that let Kyle know she was no longer upset.

Kyle and Jessi were working on their car daily, using all the money they made to buy parts, they were starting to build a new engine for the car when Jessi said, _Kyle I have an idea. Yes, Jessi tell me. _Kyle responded. _I think we should build a hybrid engine able to use gasoline or electricity. _Jessi said. Kyle responded_ that is a good idea Jessi, but electricity can be expensive, and is hard to find charging stations. _They were both quiet for a couple of minutes and then simultaneously they said, _unless we put solar panels on the surface of the car, and store it in a high capacity battery. _They smiled and hugged each other._ Let's work on it then. _Kyle said.

It was Wednesday morning, Foss said, _so are you going to that discussion club today? Yeah, _answered Jessi with no enthusiasm. Foss said, _come on Jessi it cannot be that bad. I hope you are right Foss, _Jessi said. Kyle said _it cannot be any worse than climbing that rock wall 50 times holding a 70 pound back pack, running 150 times around the warehouse with 50 pounds around each ankle or doing 1000 abdominals on one hand. _Foss said, _keep complaining Kyle and I will make it harder._

Kyle and Jessi were running to school, when Kyle leaped in front of Jessi and grabbing her waist said playfully, _I win. Not fair Kyle, we were not even racing _Jessi complained. Kyle liked the expression she made when she was upset, so he kissed her and after a moment Jessi responded and then tickled Kyle. The street lights around them were flickering. Then they went in to get showered and dressed.

Shuang observed the entire interaction from her limousine, and smiled at their playfulness. She also wondered why the street lights were flickering. Then she walked towards the classroom she would be using for the group.

Kyle and Jessi entered the classroom, there were some students there already getting breakfast. Shuang had the breakfast ordered at Eisten Bross Bagel. Her personal assistant had set the food up. There were bagels, cream cheese of different flavors, breakfast sandwiches, orange juice, and coffee, jugs of organic milk, yogurt and fruit cups. Tom had told Shuang of the caloric needs of Kyle and Jessi, so she made sure there would be plenty of food.

Jessi went first and got a tray and a plate, she got 2 bagels with cream cheese, a breakfast sandwich, one yogurt with granola, a jug of chocolate milk, orange juice and a fruit cup. Kyle was behind her he got 3 bagels with cream cheese, 2 breakfast sandwiches, 2 cups of orange juice, yogurt and a fruit cup. Then they both walked towards the circle that was forming and sat down.

Alona the sister of Jeremiah was sitting next to Jessi and told her, _Jessi if you keep eating like that you are going to get fat._ Jessi answered in an angry voice, _mind your own business, you are not the one that exercised for 2 hours before running 10 miles to school. _Shuang had to smile; the way Jessi acted reminded her of how she used to act when she was younger. None of her other 3 children acted like that, maybe because they had good childhoods, she thought.

Finally all the students and Dr. Cheng were sited in a circle. Dr. Cheng started; _Good morning I am Dr. Cheng. I appreciate all of you being present here today, you might be wondering what this is about. Let me tell you, my company has decided to sponsor Beachwood High. I am particularly interested in offering additional opportunities to the most gifted students. Mr. Hooper recommended each one present in this room for those opportunities. _Kyle and Jessi were shocked, why would Mr. Hooper recommend them for anything, he did not think much of them. He never lost an opportunity to remind them that they would never amount to much.

Jessi thought about it and raised her hand. Shuang looked at her and said kindly, _do you have a question Jessi? Yes, I do. I think there might be a mistake. I am sure that principal Hooper does not think that I and Kyle are gifted; he always tells us that we will never amount to much. That would mean that Kyle and I really should not be here. _Jessi was hoping to get Kyle and her out of having to attend the group. When she finished, she put on the most innocent smile that she could handle. Kyle seemed amused; he knew exactly what Jessi was trying to do.

Dr. Cheng answered, _I am sure Jessi, you and Kyle belong in this group. I also believe that each student sitting here has the potential for a bright future._ Internally Shuang was fuming and disliking Mr. Hooper more and more, how would he dare say things like those to her daughter Jessi who already had been through more than she could imagine. What type of educator was he?

Jessi said, _Oh! Thanks for answering my question Dr. Cheng. _Dr, Cheng said, _why don't we start by having each one of you introduce yourself, as I would like to get to know you. Please tell me your name your age the grade you are in, what type of things you enjoy doing, and what topics you would like for us to discuss in group._

They went around the room with each student introducing themselves. It was Kyle's turn_, _he said_, my name is Kyle, I am almost 17 and in the 11__th__ grade, I enjoy doing things with my girlfriend Jessi right now we are working on rebuilding a car, I also like to do things with my friends and family. I would like for us to discuss current events and recent scientific discoveries, _he concluded.

Jessi started, _I am Jessi. I am 16 years old and in the 11__th__ grade. I like doing things with my boyfriend Kyle, I also enjoy watching old romantic movies, and working on mechanical things. I would like for us to discuss renewable energy particularly solar energy. _She concluded_. _Robert a student that had tried to hit on Jessi and was rejected said under his breath but loud enough for everyone to hear. _Of course that weirdo would want to talk about things like that. _

Jessi got very upset, and without thinking, used her abilities to pull his chair back. Robert fell on his butt, and everyone laughed. He got up and yelled at Jessi_, I know you did that somehow you bitch._ Kyle knew Jessi had done it, but regardless came to her defense. He said, _first of all Robert is not polite to speak to a lady like that. Be logical Robert, Jessi is sitting across the circle from you, it is physically impossible for her to have anything to do with you falling._

Robert replied, _what do you care about how I talk to Jessi_. Y_ou better care Robert, or after school I will beat you up to dust, _said a very angry Kyle, in an iron voice. Robert now was frightened, Kyle had beaten up a football player for being inappropriate with Jessi, if the football player could not defend himself what would happen to him?

Dr. Cheng said, _enough, Robert and Kyle you are being very inappropriate. I expect Robert to apologize to Jessi; we do not use that type of language in the group. Kyle and Robert you will be leading next week group. The topic will be conflict resolution. Kyle I hope you really did not meant what you said. If anything like that happens. I will request to speak to your parents. _Shuang hated to chastise Kyle, she felt like beating Robert up herself. But she knew it was the right thing to do for the group.

Kyle said, _I am sorry Dr. Cheng, I am sorry Robert, I did not mean to cause trouble. _Robert said, in his most sincere voice, _I am sorry Jessi; I should not talk to a lady like that._ Jessi gave him a murderous smile, that chilled Robert to the bone and in her most innocent tone said, _all is forgiven Robert, don't worry._

Shuang had called Tom and they were having a conversation. Shuang was saying, _I am thinking about taking my children shopping to Geneva for spring break, do you think Adam and Jessi will be safe? I am sure Shuang do not worry about it I will handle things._ Tom said. _I have another question Tom, what happened for Kyle to end up in the detention center, _Shuang asked. Tom replied, _when I saved him from Zzyzx, I had to leave him in the forest, to take care of some safety issues. He was naked. When I came back for him he was gone. He walked in to town naked and was arrested for indecent exposure, all the charges have been dropped given he was diagnosed with amnesia. The poor boy had no idea of what he was doing. He had been naked all of his life, and knew nothing about social norms._ Shuang said, _that sounds awful Tom. I am glad the charges were drop. Is Kyle an aggressive type of person, he threatened another student in group this morning._ Tom said, _that is strange, unless that other student did something to Jessi. He will let people walk all over him and not move a finger. Before Jessi came in to the picture he would even refuse to defend himself other than by avoiding conflict and avoiding blows. Now if it comes to Jessi he will not hesitates to do whatever is necessary to defend her. He is also defending himself now; I think he does that just to make sure he will be there for Jessi. He is just like Adam in that, I am glad Jessi is helping him to understand that self-defense and even violence are sometimes necessary in their circumstances._ Shuang said _that explains it the other student verbally attacked Jessi . I have to say that I am glad he is willing to do anything to defend Jessi._

Tom said _it works out well for the most part, there was some trouble however when he fought with a football player after school for flirting with Jessi inappropriately, and trying to kiss her against her will. Jessi of course did not let him and punched him hard enough to send him flying to a wall. But then he started spreading rumors about Jessi. Kyle got him after school; thankfully Kyle let him throw the first 2 punches and made sure to get a bruise from them. Then he beat him up so badly that he could not play football for 3 weeks. I had to get involved; the student fortunately had just turn 18, so I threatened the parents with getting their son charged with child abuse given that he threw the first punch and also sexual molestation of a minor given that he tried to kiss Jessi. So the Tragers did not press charges and the other student also agreed not to press charges. You have a lot on your plate Tom. _Shuang said.

Shuang continued, _I feel silly asking you this question, but can Jessi and Kyle move solids, like for example a chair?_ Tom laughed,_ they sure can. Jessi is better at it, but Kyle can do it almost as well. Sometimes if Jessi loses her temper things will start flying. We are working on getting her more self-control. _Shuang said, _that is amazing, Adam always thought that it could only be applied to liquids. I personally never cared about moving water, as I could not see how that was useful. I guess in Jessi's and Kyle's case the ability actually has value, their brains are so evolved._

Jessi and Kyle were attending the weekly scientific club, and Jessi actually enjoyed it. Both of them were working on the same project. Shuang came over to their station and asked, _Jessi tell me what are Kyle and you working on? We are trying to make a computer model for the engine that we are designing for our car. _Jessi responded. _What type of engine are you planning to build?_ Shuang asked. Kyle responded,_ we are going for a hybrid motor, but we want it to be more powerful than the ones that are available. We also want to integrate solar panels on the surface of the car to charge the battery. _Jessi said, _that will be the more challenging part, as the current solar panels available would need a greater surface than what we have available on the car. It seems we will have to improve the design of solar panels if we want our idea to work. I can imagine the model in my head, but I need to build a computer model to be able to do a preliminary test. However the computers at school and at home are not powerful enough. Then of course we also want it to look nice, so the panels will have to be visually appealing._

Shuang was impressed and asked, _where are you getting the parts to build your car?_ Kyle responded, _we get them from the junkyard where we work, they give us a discount. We of course have to be creative, and we have to adapt or change some of the parts. But that is the only way we can afford to do it. We are building the car for fun and personal use. _

Shuang had an idea, _Kyle and Jessi do you think your parents would let you travel with me to New Mexico to visit one of my solar energy plants. We would be gone just for one night during a weekday. I am sure Principal Hooper would not have a problem with that._

Jessi and Kyle looked excited, they would love to visit a solar energy plant, and they had never been out of Seattle. Jessi said, _we will talk to our parents and ask them. _Dr. Cheng said, _here is my card have your parents call me if they have questions._

Nicole was calling Dr. Cheng to find more about the field trip to the solar plant. She started, _Hello this is Nicole Trager the mother of Kyle and Jessi, I am trying to reach Dr. Cheng. Hi Mrs. Trager, you are speaking to Dr. Cheng I thought you might be calling. _Nicole said, _Kyle and Jessi are talking about a field trip to New Mexico to visit a solar plant, would you mind telling me more about it?_

Shuang said, _I am a sponsor of Beachwood High. As part of the sponsorship, I run a science club and a discussion group for the most talented students and students interested in science. Kyle and Jessi in my opinion are the most talented in the school. They are working on a car project that includes solar panels. As part of the sponsorship I want to offer them the opportunity to visit one of my solar plants. It would be an overnight trip. We would get there in one of my corporate jets, and stay at my house in Socorro NM. After visiting the plant for the afternoon and the morning of the next day, we would come back to Seattle I already got approval from Principal Hooper. I hope you consider allowing Jessi and Kyle to take the opportunity._

Nicole thought about it, and decided to allow Kyle and Jessi take the trip, she thought it was a great opportunity that they should not miss so she said, _Dr. Cheng thank you for offering the opportunity to my children, and of course they can go._ Kyle and Jessi hugged Nicole and the three of them almost fell down, they were extremely excited about going.

Josh came in to the living room where Kyle and Jessi were watching Gone with the wind. He told them, _hey guys I have a surprise for you._ Then he hand them the box that Kyle had got out from Zzyzx. Kyle said, _Thank you Josh I thought I would never see this box again._ Josh responded, _Kyle so is it a communication device for you to talk to your home planet?_ Jessi liked joking with Josh and said, _no Josh is a specimen box, to shrink then natives and send them for testing, and I think we will start with you._ Jessi used such a serious tone that Josh left the living room and ran to his room. Lori walked over to Jessi and gave her a high five. Then Jessi, Kyle and Lori burst out laughing.

Kyle and Jessi were in Kyle's room trying to figure out how to open the box without breaking it. Then Kyle noticed that the pattern of the lock match the ring from Adam. He took the ring off his neck and used it as a key to unlock the box. Inside the box they found a red Latnok ring that had the name Sarah Emerson engraved in the inner part. A record with the song "She could be you". A picture of 2 people that looked like Kyle and Jessi in front of a dinner in the back it said Adam and Sarah.

Kyle said, _Jessi I think the ring belonged to you mother._ Jessi said, _you mean my egg donor, my mother is Nicole._ Kyle said, _that is what I meant Jessi, I am sorry. Look that is the picture of Adam and Sarah, we look just like them. _Jessi said _you are right Kyle, except I think you are better looking. _Then Kyle said, _you are certainly prettier than Sarah._ Jessi said, _if we want to listen to that song we are going to need a record player. _Kyle said _that is going to be hard to find._

Jessi said, _I want to wear that red Latnok ring around my neck, that way we will be matching._ Kyle smiled at Jessi and said, _that is a great idea Jessi, here I have an extra cord for you, let me help you to put it on._

Kyle and Jessi were eating their breakfast. Nicole said _are you sure you packed everything you need? Yes mom, we have checked our backpacks 3 times. _Kyle said. Jessi said, _Kyle we better brush our teeth, Dr. Cheng's limousine will be picking us up any minute now._ On his way out to work Stephen said, _enjoy your trip kids, and take pictures. Thanks dad, _they responded.

Upstairs Lori and Josh wished them a good trip and said they wished they were going too.

Jessi and Kyle were waiting on the front porch. Jessi was nervous and excited, she said, _Kyle I have never been in a limousine or an airplane, I am very excited. I am too Jessi, I am also looking forward to visiting the solar plant, and a different state. _Kyle said_. Kyle? Yes Jessi. I think you were right it is not that bad to attend the science club and the discussion group. _Kyle smiled at her and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

The limousine pulled up and Jessi and Kyle walked to it. The driver was holding the door for them to get in. Dr. Cheng was inside, she greeted them, _good morning Kyle, Jessi. _They responded, _good morning Dr. Cheng._

Dr. Cheng said, _I am glad your parents allowed you to make the trip. I am sure you will find that solar energy plants are very interesting. When we get to our destination, we will go to my house, so you can drop your things there and we can eat lunch. Then we will head towards the solar plant. I will have one of the engineers give us a tour._

Jessi said, _I am so excited Dr. Cheng, what I have learned about solar energy is from the internet and other documents I have read. Seeing one in person is like a dream come true. Thanks for giving Kyle and I this opportunity. May I ask you a question? _Shuang said, _of course Jessi go ahead_. Jessi asked, _Dr. Cheng what made you decided to invest in renewable energy?_

Dr. Cheng, wondered why Jessi asked that question and then answered, _the main reason, Jessi is that I think that renewable energy is the most sustainable way for us to maintain the level of energy use that we need, and then extend it to 3__rd__. world countries, to improve their levels of use in an affordable way, that should translate in to increase standards of living. It is for the most part ecologically friendly and we are pioneers in the area, so that gives us the opportunity to establish ourselve as leaders. The second reason is that it gives me an opportunity to diversify my investments, reducing the risk of losing a significant portion of assets. _

Kyle asked, _Dr. Cheng do you have solar plants in 3__rd__ world countries?_

Shuang answered_, I have a couple of plants that are profitable. I also have a pilot project in an African Village, where we are providing the people with the technology to produce their own energy and then be able to sell the surplus to neighboring villages. It seems to be working out well. The village inhabitants have raised their living standards, and the neighboring villages, have also benefitted as before they had no access to electricity. Having access to electricity opens the world to them through TV's, radios and computers. The people are more aware of events and more interested in receiving an education._

Kyle said _wow! you are a humanitarian, besides everything else._

_I guess you could say that _said Shuang with a smile.

Jessi thought that perhaps Dr. Cheng was the first intelligent person that she had met, besides Kyle, Nicole and Stephen. She might not be at their level, but she certainly was interesting to talk too. Perhaps she was smarter than Stephen and Nicole.

Dr. Cheng, Kyle and Jessi were boarding the airplane, when Jessi told Kyle,_ Kyle did you know that this jet is a Challenger 300 jet from Bombardier, the famous company for Jet planes. Challenger 300 are sophisticated and high performance business jet. _Kyle continued _They have U.S coast-to-coast range of more than 3500 miles with a top speed of 541 miles per hour. It is designed for long term service. It can hold up to 11 passengers with 2 crew members. _Jessi told Kyle_ it seems we read the same website._ They smiled at each other.

Dr. Cheng asked, _how did you know what type of jet we would be flying in?_

Jessi said, _we didn't, we just went on the web and researched all the different type of jets. I just wanted to know some information about the different models. Neither Kyle nor I have been in a plain before. I figured out it would be a good idea to educate myself; I guess Kyle thought the same._

Once inside the plane they sat around a table and the flight attendant offered them some drinks. Shuang said, _how long it took you to educate yourselves on jets? They are so many different companies and models._ Jessi said in a casual tone, _about 15 minutes, it took that long mainly because of the slow speed of the internet connection._

Shuang was starting to understand Kyle's and Jessi's true potential. It worried her, because now she understood that Latnok was not just going to leave them alone. They would be willing to go to any length to get a hold of them. The only positive was that they probably wanted them alive. She also was worried about how innocent Jessi was not realizing that it was not a good idea to let other people know how fast she could learn. She probably was not fully aware of how superior her capacity was to that of others. She would talk to Tom about it. She did not want anyone else trying to kidnap Jessi.

They were having their sodas when Shuang noticed a red Latnok ring around Jessi's neck. It brought back so many memories; she wondered how Jessi got a hold of it. Shuang said, _that is a very pretty ring that you have around your neck._ Jessi said, _thanks, I only wear it because Kyle wears his around his neck, show her Kyle. Kyle took his ring out from under his shirt. _Shuang asked, _may I take a closer look, they are so pretty._ Kyle and Jessi took their rings off from their necks and handed them to Shuang. She touched them and looked at them, it confirmed her suspicion that Jessi's ring use to be hers and Kyle's ring used to be Adam's.

Shuand asked, _Jessi, Kyle did the rings belong to someone close to you? _Kyle said in a sad tone, _mine belonged to my mentor, but he is dead now. I am sorry Kyle, _Shuang said, _what about your ring_ _Jessi._ Jessi said, _mine belonged to my biological female progenitor._ Kyle knew how strange that could sound so he added hoping Jessi would not get upset, _she means her biological mother, as you know we are adopted._ Jessi gave him a murderous look that did not go unnoticed to Shuang, and told him, _Kyle I know exactly what I am saying, how could someone that I don't even know, and that I never expect to meet be any type of mother to me, that is ridiculous. Do not say that again, it gets me upset. I am sorry Jessi I did not mean to get you upset, I will not say that again, will you please forgive me?_ Kyle said, feeling very uncomfortable, why did he have to open his mouth? Jessi said_ I forgive you Kyle. I trust you will not say that again._

* * *

Shuang (Sarah) POV

_I was trying to get some sleep as I was flying to Geneva Switzerland with 3 of my children, it was impossible to forget that Jessi was not with us. The more I knew her the more I wanted her to be with us._

_I started thinking about the trip we took to visit the solar plant. It was so much fun to get to know Jessi better. She is incredibly smart. She also has a touch of innocence, which just makes me want to protect her. _

_While we were visiting the solar plant she asked some questions, that not even my engineers were able to answer. One of the engineers told me I should offer her a summer internship He of course said the same about Kyle. It was amazing to see the speed at which she can read. She just read some thick manuals and appeared to memorize the information in a few minutes. I had to make a cover for her and Kyle in front of the engineers. I asked one of the assistants to get them copies of the manuals for them to look at later, as they were interested after browsing through them. I just don't feel comfortable with other people knowing how bright those kids are. It could put them in further danger._

_We also had some down time to spend at my house. I forgot to tell the kids that there was a swimming pool. I let them use Ella and Adam's bathing suits, they were a perfect fit. Jessi said she had never been in a swimming pool before, Kyle decided to teach her how to swim. She was swimming perfectly in less than an hour. Both Kyle and Jessi can swim incredibly fast._

_That night Jessi let me tuck her in to bed; she told me that Nicole generally tucks her in. She is such a sweet girl, it felt so good to tuck her in. I also found out that currently she is sleeping with her "sister Lori" on a cot, until her parents have enough money to change Nicole's office in to a bedroom. It just broke my heart to think she has to sleep on a cot, while my other children have all the comforts that money can buy. _

_That night I woke up to Jessi screaming, I immediately went to her room, and I found her trashing in her bed and mumbling. I gently woke her up, she sat up with a terrified expression on her face, she seemed to calm down when I gave her a hug, and then she was able to orient herself. A minute later we heard Kyle screaming; Jessi got out of bed and went to wake him up with me following. Jessi woke him up and he looked frightened, he hugged Jessi and asked her if she was Okay. Jessi told him she was fine, and that it was just a nightmare. Jessi kissed his cheek and told him to go back to sleep. I was surprised to find Kyle sleeping in the bath tub._

_Then we went back to Jessi's room and I got to tuck her in again. I waited until she went to sleep before leaving. I hate to even think about what Zzyzx might have done to Jessi for her to wake up looking so frightened. I wish I could take that pain away from her. _

_I was concerned about the way Jessi reacted when Kyle called me her biological mother, she seemed so upset. I am not sure where that anger is coming from. I will have to work hard at earning her trust before I tell her the truth._

_I was worried about leaving Adam in his comatose state. He told me to enjoy my vacation and not to worry about him. I gave the nurse a bonus and asked him to get him bathed and changed often. I left a bag full of sheets and pajamas. Tom assured me that he would be just fine._

* * *

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	15. Madacorp

Chapter 15

Madacorp

Spring break was here and the Trager's were getting ready to attend the Madacorp open house. Nicole looked beautiful, and Stephen was still concerned about her being interested in someone else. Nicole on her part still had her suspicions about Stephen working so late and on the weekends.

At the Madacorp Fair, Stephen and Nicole were so concerned about each other that they paid no attention to what their children were doing. Lori was with Declan looking at the different displays, and Josh was with Andy doing the same.

Kyle and Jessi were looking at the displays with interest. Emily Hollander was talking with Stephen and Nicole; she did not realize that Paige was walking away.

Kyle said, _look Jessi they have a display on the CIR chair, that dad has been working on, let's go and take a look._ Jessi said, _that sounds good Kyle, we have heard so much about it, it will be nice to see a diagram and a picture, I wish we could actually see the chair._ Suddenly Jessi said _Kyle we need to saver that little girl._ Jessi started running at her full speed, not caring if other people notice. Kyle started running after Jessi. Paige was so distracted looking at her balloon that she did not notice that a truck was about to hit her. She was so small that the truck driver could not see her.

Emily started looking for Paige and realized to late the danger she was in, she screamed, _No, Paige!_

With Kyle watching in horror, Jessi jumped in front of the truck that was about to run over Paige. Jessi took Paige in her arms and leaped to the side-walk just in time to avoid being hit. Kyle said, _Jessi are you okay? Yes Kyle I am fine, I just had to save this little girl, look how cute she is. _Jessi lowered herself to the level of Paige eyes and said, _Hi I am Jessi and this is Kyle what is your name?_ Paige said _I am Paige; can you help me find my mommy? _Jessi took Paige's hand and told her,_ sure, let's go and look for her._

Emily witnessed the whole incident and was running towards Paige, after lifting Paige up and hugging her Emily looked at Jessi to thank her for saving Paige, she said, _Thank you for risking your life to save my daughter. _Jessi said, _you're welcome, Paige is so cute, I could not let her get hurt. I love children. _Suddenly Emily realized that she was speaking to subject 781228 XX, and at her side was subject 781227 XY. Jessi and Kyle smiled at her and Paige and said, _bye-bye Paige, stay with your mommy she will keep you safe. _Then Kyle and Jessi walked away.

Emily started thinking; Subject 781228 XX just risked her life to save my baby, if she is supposed to have no feelings why would she do that? If both the subjects are supposed to be nothing more than computers, then why do they act and look so human? I should talk to Julian and inform him; maybe he has not had a chance to observe their actions. I don't think that they are dangerous.

Over at the display for the CIR machine, Jessi and Kyle were entering their names for a chance to take a private tour of the CIR machine. The raffle would take place in 5 minutes, so they decided to wait around. Suddenly they heard, and the winners are, Jessica Emerson and Kyle Trager, please report to the front door to start your tour. Kyle said; _let's go Jessi I don't want to miss the tour. I am coming Kyle, I want to see that chair as much as you do, _Jessi said.

At the door Julian Ballantine said, _Hi welcome to Madacorp, I am the CEO of the company you can call me Mr. Ballantine. You must be the lucky winners, what is your name? _Kyle said, _my name is Kyle and the name of my girlfriend is Jessi. We are very excited about the opportunity to look at the chair up-close_

Julian guided Kyle and Jessi to the elevators and pushed the number for the floor where the CIR chair was, and then he guided Kyle and Jessi to the Hallway. Kyle and Jessi were smiling and felt excited. That all ended when some security guards came out and grabbed them by the arms and pointed guns at them. Then Julian Ballantine said _781227 XY and 781228 XX, do not try to resist or your family will pay for it. You are now the property of Madacorp, and I will do with you whatever I want, you don't fool me you are just computers._ The guards dragged Kyle and Jessi to separate rooms where a technician was waiting. Lily, Jessi's technician said, _XX take all of your clothes off. Leave nothing on and then put this gown on. We are going to be running diagnostics on you._

Kyle was dressed in nothing more than a paper gown and was made to lie down on a table, Jessi was in a separate room and she was lying in the same type of table.

Kyle reached out to establish connection with Jessi, and both of them felt transported to their room. Jessi said, _I hate this gown, I want my clothes back. I hate Madacorp, Latnok and Zzyzx. I hate being treated like an object. _Then she started sobbing. Kyle hugged her and said, _Jessi I don't like it either, but we need to be strong. We cannot escape without bringing Madacorp down or our family will be hurt. Just go along with them, show no resistance and try not to show your feelings. I suspect that when we were in Zzyzx, we were connected to the Madacorp computer frame, so I think when we get a chance between both of us we can bring it down and destroy all of their files._ Jessi said with a small smile, _if we do that they will be so busy just trying to recover, that they will not have time for us. _She reached to kiss Kyle and after said,_ you are brilliant Kyle!_

Kyle and Jessi now had an IV and a sedative was injected. They went to sleep within minutes. They were put through a machine similar to an MRI, to run diagnostics on them, to make sure that their bodies and brains were functioning properly.

When Jessi and Kyle woke up they found themselves strapped to a CIR machine, they also noticed back pain, and felt needles inserted on both sides of their spine, they had electrodes all over their heads, and a band on their forehead. Their range of motion was extremely limited. Then they heard a voice from the loud speakers, _subjects XY and XX, do not try to resist. any physical or mental resistance will result in electric impulse send to the nerves in your spine and you will experience pain in all your body. We are going to retrieve all the information that you have about Zzyzx after that you will be used as computers the same way you were used in Zzyzx. Be thankful that we are not terminating you._

Jessi communicated to Kyle, _Kyle you were right we know the system; this is our chance to bring it down. _Kyle said, _as soon as they turn the chairs on lets go for it. _They could avoid detection in their communications the same way they did in Zzyzx.

At the control room Emily was trying to convince Ballantine that Kyle and Jessi were human beings and that they should be released. Ballantine ordered for Paige to be taken to a different room and he told Emily, _if you value the safety of your daughter, you will cooperate with me, and keep the project secret._ Emily felt trapped she could not let Ballantine hurt Paige; she had no other choice but to cooperate.

Outside of Madacorp the open house was finished and it was starting to get dark. The Trager's did not realize that Kyle and Jessi were missing as Josh decided to go out with Andy. Lori found Hillary at the open house and was going to spend the night at their house. Nicole and Stephen went out for dinner and figure out Kyle and Jessi had got a ride from Declan, and probably were home already. Thankfully Declan had been following Kyle and Jessi and got concerned when he realized they had never came out from Madacorp after the tour. He tried calling them and their phones were off, he knew they always kept their phones on.

Declan was calling Foss and said, _Foss there are problems at Madacorp, I think that they have Jessi and Kyle. They went in for a tour, but never came out, and I cannot reach them by phone._ Foss said, _wait for me there Declan, I am on my way, I will send Ron to guard the family._

* * *

Shuang, and her 3 children were staying at the Hotel Beau Rivage. Shuang had reserved an Imperials suite, it had 3 bedrooms, Adam and George were sharing a bedroom. She thought if Jessi was there, it would be Ella and Jessi sharing a bedroom, she hoped it would happen someday.

Shuang and her children were sitting at the table; breakfast just had been delivered to their room as her kids did not feel like getting dressed so early. George was saying, _mom I cannot sleep in that small twin bed why do you and Ella get the king sizes beds._ Adam added, _mom George is right, it did not matter when we were children, but now those beds are just too uncomfortable you should get an extra connecting suite for us._ The beds were actually a bit bigger than an average twin bed and had pillow tops, most people would consider them quite comfortable.

Shuang said _I am sorry guys; I guess I forgot that you are not children anymore. I will call the front desk and arrange for an adjoining executive suite. That way we all get king size beds. _Adam and George nodded their heads, and wonder why their mom had not thought about it earlier. They were used to Shuang taking care of their every need and want.

They continued eating breakfast. Ella said, _these eggs are terrible, I wonder if they have a new chef. At least the pastries are good. _Shuang said, _Ella why don't you call and order something else from the menu. _Ella said _no mom it would take too long, plus the juice and yogurt are good to. Mom are we going shopping today?_

Shuang said_, yes we are going to the_ _Rue du Rhone, I have arrange for personala personal shopping assistants for each one of us. We should get there by 2:00 p.m. that should give us some time to relax, and then when we are finish shopping we can go out for dinner._

Adam said, _hey George do you want to go for a walk and then swimming?_ George was happy to spend some time with his brother and sister; they were so busy with school lately. He said, _sure Adam that sounds good._ Adam was happy George agreed he loved his little brother and wanted to do some things with him.

Ella was thinking about maybe joining her brothers when Shuang said, _Ella I made reservations for massages, do you want to come? Sure mom, I love massages, I also like doing things with you. _Ella responded. _I also enjoy spending time with you Ella, we need some mother daughter bonding. _Shuang responded with a smile. She loved her children so much, and was happy they were having a good time. They were growing so fast, Ella and Adam were already adults and George was graduating High School.

* * *

Over at Madacorp Ballantine ordered for the CIR chairs to be turned on. Kyle and Jessi felt how their brains were connected to the computer frame. Then they felt how the system was trying to pull all the data from their heads, not only from Zzyzx, but all their personal memories and identities. They waited until the connection was complete then they rapidly overrode the program and turned it against the computer system. Electricity was send to their nerves and the pain was indescribable their bodies were contorting in pain, and they were sweating profusely. Then with determination they united their brains, and projected as much electricity as they could gather towards the computer system, they continued until their noses were bleeding and they could no longer control their screams. The computer system started crashing and then burning, the surge of electricity was so great, that the whole city of Seattle lost power. Then they passed out in the chairs.

Outside Foss decided to use the black out to get in to Madacorp. He told Declan to wait outside and have his SUV ready.

Kyle and Jessi regained consciousness within a few minutes. They broke the straps from their arms and legs, and noticed they had burns where the straps had been. They had not time to worry about it. They had no time to take the needles out of their backs so they cut the cables off with their ability to control solids. They got out of their rooms and came in to the hall way where they found each other.

Kyle and Jessi hugged each other gently as they were still experiencing a significant amount of pain. Then Kyle said, _Jessi can you fight?_ Jessi responded _do we really have a choice? _

As they were speaking they saw a group of guards running towards them. They got ready to fight. They had used their brain power so much that they were unable to send a magnetic field towards them. 5 guards approached them. Jessi lost no time, she broke the leg of one with a kick, then she turned and kicked a second guard on the chest breaking several ribs, he fell to the ground screaming, Kyle took out a guard by bending his arm and then applying pressure on the solar plexus. Then he applied the same technique to a second guard. Jessi took down the last guard by using a Roundhouse Kick to break his knees.

Kyle and Jessi started running to find an exit, Jessi saw a guard that was about to hit Kyle in the head, she jumped towards him and kicked him in the head giving him a severe concussion, he fell to the floor immediately. They were getting ready to fight with another guard, when they realized the guard had a little girl. Emily told them _quick follow me_. She guided them towards an Exit, and told them the password for the door that would lead them towards the street. Emily also said, _do not go back to your house, they know where it is, they will send a team to get you. Disappear to avoid putting yourself and your family in danger_.

Some guards came running towards Emily, she told them _they went that way_, pointing towards a stair case that led to the roof. _Hurry up, I want them back alive, do not let them escape_.

In the meantime Foss was inside Madacorp trying to find Kyle and Jessi, he got up to the CIR floor, and was surrounded by 10 guards, he did his best to defend himself, but there were just to many guards, he ended up beaten up and tied to a chair.

Kyle and Jessi were able to make their way out of Madacorp, thanks to Emily's help. Outside Declan spot them and ran towards them. He told them, _Thanks goodness you are out, even if you look terrible. I have my SUV around the corner I will drive you home. _Kyle looked at him with a serious expression and told him, _Thanks Declan you are the best friend I could ever hope for. But we cannot go with you the danger is too great for our family. We have to disappear. Please tell our parents that we love them and not to look for us. Tell Lori and Josh we love them too._ Jessi added,_ please tell them we will always remember them. Tell Lori I am sorry I am leaving her without a sister._ Then Jessi thought about it and told him,_ Please tell Dr. Cheng we are thankful for the opportunities she gave us. _Kyle said_, please call Jeff at the junkyard to let him know we will not be there on Saturdays. _

Declan was speechless he did not know what to do. Kyle gave him a hug and so did Jessi. Declan thought about something and said_, Guys why don't you at least go to your house and get some clothes, you cannot escape in those paper gowns._ Declan was hoping maybe Nicole and Stephen would be able to talk some reason in to them. Kyle said, _we can't. _Then Kyle and Jessi took off running barefooted.

Over in Madacorp, Tom was sitting tied to a chair in an interrogation room. Brian Taylor came in and said, _Tom so we see each other again. I am sure you feel happy about failing Kyle and Jessi, just like you did your wife and daughter. _Then he slapped him._ Tom was now really angry and felt like a fool for trusting Brian. Taylor walked out the door leaving Tom that now was struggling to get untied. _Emily was looking through a 2 way window and recognized Tom from her time in the service, she had a crush on him, and he had saved her life twice. She could not just walk away and leave Tom in there.

Emily considered how to get Tom out, as there were two guards outside of the door. Then she decided what she was going to do. She went in to the interrogation room, and pretended to hit Tom. Then she said in a low voice, _Tom is Emily, I am going to help you escape, just please scream a couple of times. I am going to untie you and leave a gun and a knife here for you; they are 2 guards outside, when you get out. I will knock one of them out; take care of the other one. _Then Emily gave him instructions on how to get to the closest exit, and the password. She also gave him a card and asked him to call her, saying she had information to share with him. Tom thanked her, and then got ready to escape. Emily's plan worked without trouble. Including the part where she asked Tom to punch her in the eye, so it would not look suspicious.

Declan and Tom found each other, and Declan filled Tom in what was going on. Tom told him to go to inform the Trager's, and that he would go to look for Kyle and Jessi. Tom also thought he needed to get to Adam, before Taylor, he was concerned Brian would kill Adam. So he decided to do that first, as at least he knew Kyle and Jessi could take care of themselves.

Declan was at the Trager's living room talking to Nicole and Stephen. Nicole was crying and Stephen was pacing and said, _why did they have to leave, don't they know we are willing to put up with any danger for them?_ Nicole said between sobs, _I don't care what they said. We are still going to try to find them. I cannot live without at least knowing they are safe and happy. I just want them back home._

Over in Jessi's cave, Kyle was pulling the needles out of Jessi back. They were using their night vision. Jessi was biting on a branch to prevent herself from screaming. When Kyle was done with Jessi, Jessi proceeded to get the needles out of Kyle's back. Kyle also had to bite on a branch not to scream.

Kyle said, _well at least the needles are out. _Jessi said _let's get dressed, is lucky we ran in to that Saver's donation box._ While running in the streets of Seattle they had run in to the donation box and opened it they were able to find two T-shirts and 2 pairs sweat pants. The clothes had not been washed by the donor, and were worn down, but it was better than wearing the paper gowns. Kyle and Jessi did not mind the lack of underwear as their backs were still very sensitive and it was best not to have anything rubbing directly. They lamented not finding shoes.

Jessi said, _Kyle let's get some sleep, and we can get going in a few hours. That sounds good Jessi. _Both of them were exhausted and in pain, they were a sleep in no time.

Over in Adam's cabin, Tom was getting Adam in to his truck. Jimmy's replacement was due to come in the next day, so Tom told him to leave a day early; he did not want to leave no one at the Cabin or compromise the location of the warehouse.. Then he gave Donald instructions and asked him to help him track Kyle and Jessi down. Tom figured out he could take care of Adam for the night and then go and get the equipment and the new nurse the following day. The only things he took were a box of feeding cans, a bag of diapers, and a blanket. He was in a hurry to get Adam out.

Tom took Adam to the warehouse; he had no other place to take him to. He laid him in his cot, and covered him with a blanket. He proceeded to give him a tube feeding and after changed his diaper and emptied the urine bag.

Ron was observing what Tom was doing he asked him, _who is this man, and why is he here. _Foss told him, _He is Adam, the boss we work for. He is in a coma, and the safety of his location was compromised, so I had to bring him here until I find a new location, it will probably take me a week. _Ron asked why_ didn't you take him to the hospital._ Tom said, _I can't, the people that want to kill him are very powerful. I cannot protect him in a hospital environment._ Ron shook his head in understanding.

It was 3:00 am and Kyle and Jessi were getting up, Jessi said, _Kyle where do you think we should go? _Kyle said, _What about following the ocean to Los Angeles. _Jessi said, _that sounds good, Los Angeles should be a good city to get lost in. _Kyle said, _yes and it might even be fun to follow the coast line._ Jessi kissed Kyle and then said, _let's go and get washed up in the waterfall; we have blood all over our faces and backs._ Kyle and Jessi took their clothes off at the waterfall and washed themselves the best they could, they helped each other with their backs, as they still were very tender and it was hard to move. Then they put their clothes back on. Kyle tried not to look at Jessi that much, as he was experiencing new feelings when he looked at her nude.

Jessi walked to a trash can next to the falls and got 2 empty bottles of water out. She washed them out at the falls and filled them up. She gave one to Kyle and said, we probably will need them later. Kyle and Jessi took off jogging towards the beach.

After leaving Seattle behind, Kyle said, _Jessi we should stop and look for some breakfast, I am starving. _Jessi said, _that is a good idea Kyle, I am glad Tom thought us survival skills and how to find food in different environments._ Kyle and Jessi started collecting some small crabs by the sea side. They had to eat them raw, as they did not have materials to make a fire.

Over in Geneva the Cheng family was enjoying themselves at a private yacht on Geneva Lake. Ella was saying, _mom this vacation has been a lot of fun. We got to do sightseeing and shopping I am happy with my new wardrobe. _George said, _I miss you guys ever since you moved out of the house, I wish we could do more things together. _Adam said, _George you start collage in the fall; we will get to do more things together then._ Shuang told them, _you are all growing up so fast, I cannot believe that you are starting collage this year George, are you planning to commute or to move in to the Pent House?_ George said, _probably a combination of both mom, I am not sure. _

The steward came and announced that dinner was being served. The family moved to the dining area and was served a five course meal that was prepared by a master chef. There was a pianist providing entertainment while they eat. They all enjoyed it and Adam said, _finally we get a meal that everyone enjoys._

Over at Seattle Tom was meeting with the Trager's and assuring them that he was doing all he could to find Kyle and Jessi. He asked them to call him if they heard from them. Then he left to Adam's cabin. He picked up the nurse and the equipment and headed back to the city. Unexpectedly a truck started rear-ending the truck of Tom. Tom was a very good defensive driver, so he was able to keep the truck on the road until a different truck hit him on the side. The truck went off the road and turned 3 times. The truck ended up upside down, Tom and the nurse were hanging from their seat belts.

* * *

Thanks to JasonZ0654 my Beta reader . I appreciate the time he takes to edit my work.

mc aj, Thanks for following and leaving reviews. I am glad you liked the previews chapter.

I appreciate reviews and suggestions, Please review.


	16. Coming together

Chapter 16

Coming together

Ron was pacing in the warehouse. Tom had told him he would be back before 5:00 pm, it was 8:00 pm and he was not back. He had tried to call him by phone and there was no answer. He decided to give Adam a feeding as Tom had told him.

Ron woke up and there was still no word from Tom. He was not sure what he was going to do with Adam, he was not a nurse, and Tom had only told him about the feedings, because Adam was going to need one while Tom was away getting the nurse. He knew he could not take him to the hospital. He decided to eat his breakfast and he hoped Tom would come back soon.

Over at a hospital in Seattle Tom was in the Intensive Care Unit and Emily was visiting. The social worker had called Emily as Tom had her card in his wallet. Unfortunately, his cell phone was left at the site of the accident. Given she was the only known contact the doctor was telling her, _It is fortunate that he survived it was a bad accident. He is making a nice recovery. He should be out of the ICU in 2 or 3 days._ Emily asked the doctor to keep her informed and said she would visit daily.

Kyle and Jessi were following the coast line it was evening and they were in a deserted spot. Jessi took her clothes off and said, _race you _as she ran towards the water, Kyle took his clothes off and followed her, saying, _not fair,_ admiring her perfect figure_. Both were swimming and Kyle finally caught up with Jessi. He pulled her in to a hug, and kissed her._ Jessi pulled away playfully and started swimming away, then said, _Kyle there is a school of fish, come help me._ With their rapid reflexes they were able to catch the fishes with their bare hands, and throw them far enough in to the sand for them not to escape.

Kyle and Jessi started swimming back, Jessi put her sweat pants on and so did Kyle then he walked over to Jessi and started kissing her. He started exploring the inside of her mouth, and laid her down; Jessi was exploring his back and his chest, the light touch of his chest on hers made her shiver. At that point their minds united and both gasped, as they could feel the sensations from both perspectives. After a few minutes they sat up and Jessi said, _that is all I can take that was amazing_, she had a smile with wonder on her face .Kyle said, _it sure was amazing, I did not know we could do that. _Then with concern on his face he reached out for Jessi hand and said, _Jessi I hope I did not push you too far. No you did not Kyle I enjoyed it you should know, after all you felt what I felt. I just could not take anymore._ Kyle smiled and said, _I could not take any more either._ Then he stood up and helped Jessi to get her T-shirt on then he put on his own. He was amazed at how beautiful Jessi looked her skin had a nice tan and her muscles were firm and defined as a result of all the walking and swimming they were doing. She also moved with grace and confidence.

Kyle and Jessi were sitting around a fire; they could get a fire started by channeling a few sparkle of electricity in to the materials. Since destroying the Madacorp computer system their control over electricity had improved. Jessi said, _I think is time to remove the fishes from the fire._ Both Kyle and Jessi used their control over solids to make the fishes fly out from the fire. They waited for them too cool off, and then they started eating.

Kyle and Jessi were lying on the sand near the fire, looking at the stars. Jessi had her head on Kyle's chest and she started crying. Kyle said, _Sweetheart why are you crying?_ He also started running his fingers through her hair and kissed her temple. Jessi said between sobs, _I miss our home and our family. Our clothes are dirty and smelly and we have no way of washing them. I wish we could have some nice clean clothes. The worst part Kyle is that I am having nightmares about Madacorp. I know I should not be complaining as you are having the nightmares too. It is just so scary to think that at any point we could be kidnapped again, and tortured. Both of us are still trying to heal from the burns, they still sting._

Kyle said _I know Jessi it has not been easy to be away from home. But what other choice do we have? We can only hope that at some point we can go back. For now we need to lay low to protect ourselves and our family. Hopefully the people that are trying to get us will think we are dead. I hope you are right Kyle _said Jessi and closed her eyes Kyle had tears running down his cheeks; he missed his family so much. He also felt bad for not being able to provide a better environment for Jessi. Most of the time Kyle and Jessi tried to be upbeat about their circumstances, it was just harder at night when they were tired.

Over at the warehouse Ron was getting desperate, it had been a few days since he heard from Tom. He had run out of cans to feed Adam. He did the best that he could and he was feeding him Gatorade and carnation instant breakfast. He tried calling a nurse service. But was unable to get anyone to go to the warehouse area as they thought no one could possibly be living there. He had decided to wait for Tom for 3 more days and after that he would have no other choice but to take Adam to the hospital.

Shuang was back at her mansion in Seattle; she was resting from the trip and was feeling happy. Her children had had a good time; each one of them had a new wardrobe. She had spent over a million dollars buying her children clothes and accessories, but it was well worth just to see the smiles on their faces. She had also picked up some nice clothes herself. She thought that maybe the next day she would drive to visit Adam. She tried to call Tom, and left him a message.

It was evening and Shuang was drinking her tea, the butler approached her and said, _Mrs. Cheng_ _there is an Emily Hollander wanting to see you here is her card, she states she has to give you a message from Tom Foss. _The card of Emily read Emily Hollander Madacorp CEO. Emily had been promoted to CEO after the blackout had caused public relation problems, and Ballantine was found to be carrying out non authorized projects and experiments. The board thought that Emily had handle the situation well, and decided to promote her as she already knew Madacorp inside out, and had a Master in Business and another Master in Public relations.

Shuang was talking to Emily who was saying, _Tom Foss was in a serious car accident, he is in the ICU, he just came out of the coma this morning. He asked me to give you a message. He told me to let you know that he had to relocate Adam because of security issues. He took him to his warehouse. The nurse that was supposed take care of Adam was in the same accident and also is in the ICU. He asks you to please go to check on him, this is the address and directions to the warehouse. Ron will be waiting for you; I have called him to notify him._

Shuang answered,_ Thank you for coming to my house to inform me Ms. Hollander, tell Tom that I will take care of Adam. Thank you for taking care of Foss. _Emily smiled and said _I am happy to help Tom I owe him my life. Thanks for the Tea Mrs. Cheng, I need to get going._

Shuang was on her way to the warehouse, she was very concerned about Adam, and could not wait to get there. Her limousine stopped at the entrance of the warehouse, her driver helped her to get out. Shuang got in to the warehouse and was greeted by Ron who said, _Mrs. Cheng?_ Shuang said, _yes are your Ron._ Ron said _yes,_ I_ am so happy you are here; I did not know what to do with Mr. Baylin . I did the best I could, but he needs a professional taking care of him. I tried to get a nurse but no agency would send one to the warehouse district. I almost forgot, may I please see you ID. _

Shuang showed him her driver's license and she was happy he had asked then she said, _Ron would you please guide me to Adam. Sure follow me _said Ron. When Shuang saw Adam she rushed towards him to evaluate the situation. There were flies all over Adam and the area where his cot was located. He was unshaved, and had sleep in his eyes. His hair was greasy and tangled. There was an odor coming from him. The only good news was that he was moaning, a sign that his comas was very light now.

There were tears coming out of Shuang's (Sarah's) eyes, she kneeled at his side and kissed his temple saying, _Adam I should have not gone on that vacation. But I am back and I will take care of you. Please forgive me._ To her surprise Adam opened his eyes and after a moment looked at her, with difficulty he said, _Shuang you are back, I missed you so much._ Shuang hugged him and said, _Adam you are out of your coma! I am so happy!_ Adam said _you got me out of it when I heard your voice. _Shuang (Sarah) kissed his lips, not caring what condition they were in. Both of them were crying.

Adam looked around and asked, _Shuang where am I?_ Shuang responded, _you are at Tom's warehouse apparently there was a breach in security. Tom is in the hospital, and asked me to come and take care of you. I just got back today from my trip. I am sorry I was not here to take care of you._ Adam said, _don't worry I hope you had a good vacation. _Then Adams face reflected pain and a small groan came out of his mouth.

Shuang said, _Adam I am going to examine you. Your care has been poor since Tom went in to the hospital, where does it hurt?_ Adam said _my lower abdomen. _Adam had pain in many other places but that was the worst. Shuang was shocked when she lifted the blanket that was covering Adam. The only things on him were some paper towels wrapped around his groin area. He had a bad rash all over his skin; it looked like he had lost some weight. Ron had run out of diapers and that was his best idea, he had taken his PJ's off as they got wet and dirty. And he did not have another pair to put on him. Ron was definitely not the nurse type.

Shuang (Sarah) left only Adam's lower Abdomen uncovered and palpate it, she discover that Adam's bladder was distended. She looked at the urine bag and it was full, Ron had not known he was supposed to empty the bag. Shuang told Adam, _Adam I am going to take a look at your urine catheter. _She took the paper towels off and discovered that Adam had a bleeding diaper rash and it seemed like his bottom had not been cleaned at all, maybe since she left. It smelled awful, and it looked worse. She checked the catheter and saw blood in it, there was also urine leaking out. That explained why the blanket was wet. The only thing she could do at this point was pull the catheter out, and replace it latter. She told Adam, _Adam I need to get the catheter out, it is going to hurt. _Adam closed his eyes and tears started coming out of his eyes while the catheter came out.

Shuang washed her hands at a nearby sink and kneeled near Adam she said, _Adam I am going to get you out of here and take you to my hospital, you will be safe there, I will not get you officially registered, and we will have plenty of security. _Adam said with sad eyes,_ I am sorry you have to see me like this. Thanks for helping me._ Shuang (Sarah) kissed his cheek and told him,_ don't be ridiculous, I don't care what condition you are in. I love you just the same. I am just sorry I was not here to prevent what has happened to you._ Then she walked away and came back with her driver and a blanket that she always carried in her limousine. Between Ron and the driver they transferred Adam to the clean blanket. Shuang wrapped it around his body, and then her driver carried him to the limousine. In the limousine Shuang had Adam's head on her lap, and she was trying to distract him by telling him about their twins, while she ran her fingers through his hair.

At Shuang's hospital Adam was in the bath tub, and Shuang (Sarah) was bathing him, she did not want the doctors to see him until he was clean and dressed. Shuang knew that Adam was already feeling embarrassed. She would not make it worse for him. When Shuang was finished giving Adam his bath, a nurse helped her to get him dried, and transferred him to his bed. Sarah dressed Adam with a pair of boxers, an undershirt, PJ's and socks. She had her driver go and purchase the clothes at the nearby mall. Then she combed his hair, and shaved him.

Adam looked at her with grateful eyes and before he could express his gratitude, Shuang (Sarah) was already kissing him. A few minutes later a dermatologist, urologist, neurologist and an internist walked in to examine Adam. Adam was at the largest VIP suite, so there was enough room for everyone.

Shuang had been spending all of her time with Adam, only leaving him to go and check on her son. She thought before long she would have to talk to her children as she was planning to take Adam to her home at least until he was fully recovered. Who knows what they would decide later.

School was back in session and it was Wednesday, Shuang could not wait to see Jessi. She was walking towards the classroom where the discussion group was held. At the door she saw a teenager that she did not recognize. Declan approached her and said, _Dr. Cheng my name is Declan, I am a friend of Kyle and Jessi, they asked me to tell you that they appreciate all the opportunities that you gave them. Declan's voice was shaky and he had tears in his eyes. _Shuang asked with concern _where are they?_ Declan said, _I wish I knew _and walked away_. _Shuang was shaken she did not know if she could lead the discussion group all she could think about was Jessi, where was she? What had happened to her? The hour went slowly for her and she was very distracted.

Back in her limousine, Shuang was calling Mrs. Ortiz when she answered she said, _what do you know about what is going on with Jessica Emerson and Kyle Trager. _Ms. Ortiz answered, _all we know is that they disappeared after attending an open house at Madacorp. We have not been able to find them. _Shuang now was yelling _why wasn't I informed, did I not tell you to inform me immediately of any change. What type of person did you send to follow them? How is it possible for 2 teenagers to just disappear and for a professional spy not to be able to find them? _Ms. Ortiz said, _I assure you Mrs. Cheng that I have one of our best spies on the case, and I have a team working on it. The reason I did not inform you is that I did not want to disturb you while you were on vacation._ Shuang answered _next time just follow my orders. How many people do you have working on the case? _Ms. Ortiz answered, _3 people including the spy. _Shuang answered,_ I want a 25 people team working on finding them. I don't care if you have to lift every rock in the country to find them. Don't worry about the budget, spend as much as needed. I just want them found as soon as possible._ Ms. Ortiz said _I will do as you say Mrs. Cheng. I am sorry for not informing you. I did not realize the importance of the case._

After hanging up Shuang started crying, _did Madacorp have her baby girl? What were they doing to her?_

Shuang was in Tom's room and Emily was visiting and holding Tom's hand. Shuang had had him transferred to her hospital and he was on the VIP floor next door to Adam. Tom was receiving strong pain medications and sedatives; he was incoherent most of the time as a result. Shuang decided to try anyway she said, _Tom do you know what happened to Jessi and Kyle? _Tom smiled and said, _why is there something wrong with them?_ Shuang realized there was no point in talking to Tom and told him, _don't worry Tom, just get better. _Emily did not tell her what she knew as she did not know the reasons behind Shuang's interest in Kyle and Jessi. She felt she owed them, and would not betray them.

Shuang was feeling desperate, after helping Adam with his lunch, she told him she had to take care of some business. Adam noticed her anxiety and asked her about it. She just told him that the traffic had been bad in the morning. He did not pressure her any further, she was sure he knew she was not telling him the truth. She wasn't ready.

Shuang was at the front door of the Trager's household, she had just ringed the doorbell. Nicole came to the door, and said, _Dr. Cheng how can I help you? _Shuang asked Nicole _how did you know that I am Dr. Cheng, we never met in person. _ Nicole said, _Jessi drew a picture of you. _At the mention of Jessi's name Nicole started crying. Then she said, _please come in Dr. Cheng_. Shuang went in and said, _Mrs. Trager please call me Shuang. Then please call me Nicole._ Nicole was fitting to compose herself, and said,_ I am sorry. I am just so emotional since my children disappeared._ Shuang said _I need to talk to you about that._ Nicole looked at her with hopeful eyes and invited her to sit in the living room. Nicole offered her some tea that Shuang accepted.

Nicole and Shuang were sitting down and facing each other. Shuang started, _I don't know where to start so I am just going to go to the point. First of all I want you to know how thankful I am to you and your family; I will always be in debt to you for taking care and loving my daughter Jessi. I am Jessi's biological mother. _Nicole asked, _is Jessi with you?_ Shuang said, _I wish she was, I just found out this morning that her and Kyle are missing, I would never take Jessi away from you I realize how much you love her. _By this time Shuang had tears running down her face. Nicole said, _how is this possible? I thought that the biological mother of Jessi was Sarah Emerson. I have seen a picture of Sarah and Jessi looks just like her. I also thought that Sarah was dead._

Shuang said _it is a long story let me give you the short version for now. I am Sarah Emerson. I escaped from Latnok as they were trying to kill me. I was in a car accident that destroyed my face, my husband and his cousin died in that car accident. I took the opportunity and became Shuang Cheng. I want to keep Sarah dead, as Latnok is extremely dangerous._ Nicole shook her head in understanding and said, _don't worry your secret is safe with me. I know firsthand how dangerous Latnok is. I do see that Jessi has your eyes. Why haven't you come to talk to us? Why haven't you told Jessi?_

Shuang took a deep breath, _I am afraid of Jessi rejecting me. I thought I would try to earn her trust first. I have 3 more children, a daughter that looks just like Jessi. I have been concerned to put their safety at risk. However that is no longer an issue. I have learned from you and your family, you have not been scared to put your biological children at risk for my Jessi. I can at least do the same for her._ Nicole said, _believe me we have been scared more than once, is just that we would do the same for any of our children. _Nicole started crying and said,_ right now I would just do anything to have my babies back._

Shuang had to admire Nicole, she question herself regarding Jessi and wondered if Nicole loved her more. Then she hugged Nicole and both of them cried over their children.

Shuang and Nicole composed themselves after a few minutes. Then Shuang asked, _Nicole what do you know about Jessi's and Kyle's disappearance?_

Nicole said, _Shuang let me tell you what I know. We went to the Madacorp Spring open house. My husband use to work there. He of course quit after finding out that they were involved in Jessi's and Kyle's disappearance. Emily Hollander the new CEO of Madacorp told us what she knows. She apparently had a change of heart after Jessi saved her daughter's life at the open house. She told us that Kyle and Jessi were kidnapped by Julian Ballantine the former CEO. Apparently he believed that Jessi and Kyle were biological computers and dangerous to society. When he got ahold of them he threatened them with our safety, so they did not resist. He ended up hooking each one of them to a CIR chair He tried to take their memories and identities away._ Nicole had to pause to clean some tears, and then took two deep breaths and continued, _Emily told us that Kyle and Jessi were able to turn the program against Madacorp, and erased all of their files. Then somehow they channeled electricity through the CIR machine and burned the whole Madacorp computer system. That was the cause of Seattle losing power that day. Emily helped them to escape. Declan a good friend of Kyle's who is being trained by Tom to help protecting the kids notified Tom. Kyle and Jessi came out before Tom could find them. Declan found them and tried to bring them home as he said they looked terrible and only had a torn paper gown on them. They refused saying that they would not put us at further risks. We have not heard from them since then, it was the beginning of spring break. Tom Foss told us that he was doing everything he could to find them but we have not heard from him since the day after they disappeared._

Shuang was now sobbing it was too much information for her to handle. Her thoughts were scrambled. She had always spoiled her children and provided for them every want and need. She had never even imagined that one of her children could end up kidnapped, and facing the world in a paper gown. She had just spent a lot of money to buy her children the best clothes and accessories. None of that matter, the fact was that she did not even know if Jessi was dead or alive. It felt like she was missing a part of the picture, but she just could not figure out what it was.

After calming down Shuang said, _Nicole I want to let you know that the reason Tom has not called is that he is in the hospital after a car accident. I also want to let you know that I have a team of 25 people trying to find Jessi and Kyle._

Nicole said,_ thank you, I feel better knowing that there is a team looking for them. Would you mind telling me the hospital that Tom is in, I would like to visit he has done so much for my family._

Shuang thought that Nicole really did not have to thank her. It was her obligation to look for Jessi, and probably for Kyle too given that he was Adam's son. Shuang was getting ready to leave when Nicole said; _Shuang I would like to show you something that belongs to Jessi, maybe taking one of them with you will make it easier to wait until she is found. I know it helps me. Come with me._

Nicole took Shuang to what used to be her office, to help the family cope; they decided to get the room for Jessi ready as a surprise for when she came back. Nicole said, _this is Jessi's new room for when she comes back. Her favorite color is black, so we have used off white and black to add an accent. Let me show you her paintings._ Nicole showed her paintings hanging from the wall of Kyle and Jessi, another of all the family, some of Kyle and some from her memories from Zzyzx. Then she opened a drawer and pulled out a painting of Shuang. Nicole told her, _take this picture with you, it will remind you that you are important to Jessi even if she does not know you are her mother. _Then she also handed her a small beanie baby, and told her, _this is one of Jessi's favorite stuff animals, take it with you, until Jessi comes back. I sleep with her Teddy bear; it helps me to keep her close._ Then Nicole guided Shuang to Kyle's room and went through a pile of picture, she told her _Kyle likes to paint portraits of Jessi. Have this one I think is one of the best ones._ Shuang looked at it and it was a painting of Jessi playing basketball with a smile on her face.

Shuang hugged Nicole before leaving and told her, _Thank you for everything Nicole. I will keep you posted on any development. It would be nice if we could meet later this week to drink some tea._ Nicole said, _sure, I think it will help us both, call me and we can meet wherever you want._

Shuang was in the hospital with Adam, she was lying down near him, trying to go to sleep, she had Jessi's beanie baby with her. Her mind was going round and round, she felt there was something wrong, but could not pin point it. Then an image of Jessi dressed in a paper gown on the streets came to her, she felt very sad. Then out of nowhere she had an image of George dressed in a paper gown and on the streets, she felt overwhelmed, desperate, shaky and beyond sadness. Then she suddenly realized what was missing. She knew she loved Jessi the problem was that she had been protecting herself from the pain of facing what Jessi's life had been and still was. Therefore she had not opened her heart completely to her, like she did with her other children. As soon as she came to that realization, she felt a stab in her heart and realized she had finally opened her heart completely to Jessi despite the pain it caused her. She started sobbing. From now on she would be the best mother she could be to Jessi, and she would always put her first like she did with her other children.

The sobs of Shuang woke Adam up, he looked at her with concerned eyes and slip his arm under her neck and placed his hand on her shoulder. He wished he could give her a real hug, but he was still too weak. The mere presence of Adam comforted Shuang. She realized that he was ready to listen, but would not pressure her to speak. Shuang started_, Adam I don't know how much you know about the daughter that I have, created by Zzyzx. I have met her and her name is Jessi, she had been living with the Trager family and with Kyle. I now love her in the same way as my other children. I am feeling sad because it has taken me so long to completely open my heart to her, and I did not even realize it until today. Now she and Kyle are missing. I think it is partially my fault, I offered her no protection. I know that you had Foss watching over Kyle and he out of the goodness of his heart was watching over my Jessi. However I did not bother to pay him for it. I did not insist on him hiring someone else to help protect Jessi. All I did was giving him my card and offered to help in crisis situations. Then I put a stupid spy to follow her, and he could not even do that. I have 2 body guards and a spy protecting each one of my other children at all times, and they are not in as much danger as Jessi is. _At this point Shuang could not continue, she was crying so hard.

Adam was worried, what did Sarah mean when she said Kyle was missing. He however decided to draw his own worries until Sarah was finished talking. Adam managed to turn on his side, the physical therapy and proper nutrition was paying off. He started to run his fingers through Shuang's hair, and kissed the top of her head. It hurt Adam to see Shuang(Sarah) in such state. Shuang calmed down after a 15 minutes, however did not start speaking. Adam decided to take the opportunity to fill her in on what he knew about Jessi. He started; _Shuang let me tell you what I know about Jessi. I did not find out about her until a few days before I was shot. She was created by Brian Taylor with the help of Professor Kern. She was created about 6 months after Kyle. Brian stole your Ova, I am sorry; I should have destroyed it right after you told me not to use it. Brian decided to use his own sperm. That is the reason I don't trust Brian any longer. He had not right to use your ova without your permission, especially after we thought you were dead. Brian conspired with Professor Kern to get me thrown out of Zzyzx. I am not sure why, I would think that Brian would have wanted to get Jessi out as much as I wanted to get Kyle out. I was the one conducting the research on how to get pod children out safely, as I lost so many in the experiments. In the end however it was Tom who figured out how to get Kyle out safely, so much for scientific training._

Shuang said, _it is impossible for me to be upset with anyone about Jessi's creation, she is my daughter and I love her. I am happy she was created, some things are just meant to be. I am shocked however that Brian would do something like that, and why would he use his own sperm? Maybe I will get to ask him someday. A possibility is that Brian just lost his mind. Tom told me that he was involved in the kidnapping of Jessi and Kyle by Madacorp, so maybe he really thinks that the children are computers._

Adam thought that Shuang was now ready for a conversation so he asked, _Shuang would you mind explaining to me what has happened to Jessi and Kyle, you know Kyle is my son and I love him, even if he does not recognize me as a father._ Shuang said, _what I know is that they were kidnapped by Madacorp and then were able to escape, they have been missing for about 2 weeks. It seems they did not want to put the Trager's at risk, and decided to disappear, much like I did. But when I disappeared I was an adult, they are just children, and don't have much experience in the world as they were in those pod's so long. I am just worried sick. _

Adam said, _I understand, but if you know Jessi then you must know that their intelligence is unparalleled. I know before I went in to my coma, Kyle was exhibiting incredible control over his body and objects. If anyone can survive it's them. _

Shuang said, _I hope you are right Adam. I want to let you know that I have a team of 25 people looking for them. Tell me why is it that Kyle does not acknowledge you as his father?_

Adam said, _after Tom rescued Kyle from Zzyzx, he was almost immediately taken in by the Trager's. It took us a few months to get him to me. I only have myself to blame for that. I could have shown up, within days to take him home. But I just let Brian handle it. By the time he went to live with me, he already loved the Trager's and considered them his family. He was angry that I took him away from them. He was also angry as he feels I abandoned him at Zzyzx. He feels I did not act like a father to him. I cannot blame him he is right. I am lucky he considered me a mentor and allowed me to have a relationship with him. Now he thinks I am dead. I wonder how angry he will be when I tell him I did not die. But I guess first he needs to be found._

Both were quiet for a few minutes and then Shuang said _I hope I don't have the same problem with Jessi. I certainly have not been acting like a mother to her. I more or less have just been involved in her life enough to get to know her._ Adam told her, _Shuang your situation is different, you did not create Jessi, and you did not abandon her in that pod for years. I am sure she will understand. I hope so, _Shuang said. Adam continued, _I did not realize how out of control Madacorp was, again I have myself to blame. I still own 35 % of Madacorp which is a greater portion than what Latnok owns, and greater than any other investor. I just trusted Brian to handle it for me, and now I see what types of things he has been involved in. I cannot believe he would kidnap his own daughter. When I get better, I guess I will have to come out of hiding. They will try to kill me anyway. They might as well kill me while I am doing something useful._

Shuang now was concerned, she said, _Adam there has to be another way. I don't want you to die, now that we finally get a chance to be happy together. Look they think you are dead just please stay dead. You told me you would listen to me this time. _Adam could not stop himself from laughing and said; _Shuang if you want me to stay dead, then I will stay dead. I will not break my promise; I love you too much to lose you again. _Shuang kissed Adams lips, and he responded, they explored each other's mouth, and later they went to sleep in each other's arms.

* * *

Thanks to Jason Z0654, my beta reader. His help in invaluable and greatly appreciated.

Mc aj, thanks for reviewing, I used one of your ideas

remma500 thanks for reviewing. I a, happy you like the story

Ideas suggestions are always appreciated.

Please review.


	17. California

Chapter 17

California

Jessi was sleeping with her head on Kyle's chest. Kyle had an arm around her. He had just woken up, and was listening to the sound of the waves and the seagulls. They were getting close to LA, and deserted spots were getting harder to find. Jessi woke up a few minutes later she looked at Kyle and smiled. Kyle said, _good morning gorgeous, how did you sleep? _ Jessi said, _good morning I slept well, what about you?_ Kyle responded, _I always sleep well, when we sleep together. _

Jessi sat up and said_, let's go and swim_. They both got their clothes off and ran towards the ocean; they enjoyed swimming in the morning. Jessi got out before Kyle and after getting dressed, sat on the sand looking at the horizon. As Kyle was swimming towards the sand, Jessi spotted a small shark in the shallow water. Thinking that it might be dangerous to Kyle, Jessi mentally lifted it out of the water and in to the sand. Hoping Kyle would not get upset and start lecturing her about ecosystems. To her surprise when Kyle got out he walked towards the shark and channeled electricity towards the Sharks brain and then towards the heart, killing it. Jessi was looking at him with her mouth opened. Kyle looked at her and said, _what? I'm hungry, I want breakfast. _

Jessi was making a fire to cook the shark while Kyle was climbing a palm tree to get some coconuts. Breakfast was ready in no time. Jessi said, _we will be getting to Los Angeles today_. Kyle said, _yes and we cannot prolong it any longer. I have just enjoyed traveling with you. _Jessi said,_ it has been a lot of fun, but I want us to find a school where we can get registered, I don't want to lose the year. _Neither Kyle nor Jessi had any idea how they were going to get registered without revealing their names, or without school records, they would just have to figure it out.

Kyle and Jessi were walking the streets of Los Angeles wondering where they were going to spend the night. They were getting hungry as they had not eaten since breakfast. They decided to find a place where they could scavenge for food after sunset. They found a Food for Less, grocery store after sunset they went to the delivery area and looked inside some big trash cans. Tom had tought them that they could find edible clean food in those types of trash cans. They found bananas, bread, oranges, a few premade sandwiches and orange juice. They took as much as they could carry and then found a place to sit down.

While they were eating they saw two teenagers going through the same trash cans, however they were not as lucky, a security guard chased them away. The teenagers were walking towards Kyle and Jessi. Kyle used his night vision to take a better look at them. They were a boy and a girl of about the same age as them. They looked as disheveled as Kyle and Jessi. Kyle with his natural friendliness stood up and approached them. He said, _Hi I am Kyle and this is my girlfriend Jessi. I saw that you could not get food. If you want we can share with you what we have. _The boy asked, _you gang members?_ Kyle responded, _no just homeless._ After considering the situation for a minute the boy said, _I Jose, and my girl Jodi, we homeless like you._ Jodi said, _so can we eat with you? _ Jessi said, _come join us._

The four teenagers eat as much of the food as was edible, the bananas were soft, but acceptable, part of each orange had to be tossed away. They eat the slices of bread that were not molded. The sandwiches were in surprising good condition, having just expired the day before .The orange juice was a bit sour but drinkable. After they finished Jose said, _you shared your food with us, if you want we can share our place._ Kyle said, _yes thank you, we have nowhere to stay._ Jodi said, _come with us._

After walking for a while they entered the neighborhood of University Park, one of the poorest and most dangerous of LA. Then they came to a street with poorly kept houses, and then they walked towards a house that had its windows boarded up, they walked to the back and Jose removed one of the boards from a window, he waited until everyone jumped in and then jumped in himself and replaced the board. Jodi took a flashlight and turned it on. She said,_ we stay here, do not make much noise or the police might kick us out. The neighbors are always high or drunk, so they do not even notice we are here. _Then she guided them towards what used to be a bedroom and said, _you can sleep here, Jose and I sleep over there. _Jodi walked out and after a couple of minutes came back with a blanket. She said_ Jose and I have two blankets; you can use this one until you buy your own._ Jessi said, _thank you very much Jodi, we appreciate your hospitality. _Jodi smiled and said, _good night, we'll talk in the morning._

Kyle and Jessi found a spot to lie down in the room and covered themselves with the blanket. Kyle kissed Jessi's forehead and said _good night love. Good night Kyle, _Jessi said and after kissing Kyle's cheek she placed her head on Kyle's chest. It took them a while to go to sleep as the concrete floor was harder than the sand.

At 6:00 am Kyle and Jessi woke up to Jose saying, _guys, you come to breakfast with us? _Jose had a tendency to take short cuts when he spoke. Jessi said _we don't have money._ Jody explained, _we go to a soup kitchen. We need to get there early because they only take the first 200. It is free._ Jessi said, _sure. _Kyle and Jessi got up, fix their hair with their fingers, and went with Jose and Jody.

Kyle and Jessi were standing in-line at the soup Kitchen with Jose and Jodi. They were in the first half of the line. Jessi was looking around curiously, she noticed that all the people in-line were disheveled, some were sad, others appeared like they had some type of mental problem. Jessi wondered how long they would have to live like that she missed her family, her home and the nice meals that were always on the table.

The teenagers walked in and took a tray; they were given oatmeal, scrambled eggs, toast, coffee and juice. Then the 4 of them made their way to one of the tables, they started talking. Jodi said, _me and Jose are on the streets after we escaped foster care, we were in the same home together, our foster parents were always calling us names and when our foster father got drunk he would beat all the family up. We tried talking to our social worker but she would not listen, saying it was hard to place teenagers. We decided to escape, and it has been better, at least we don't get beaten up. _Jose said, _don't get us wrong, there are some good foster homes; I was in a few of them. We just got unlucky to end up with an uncaring social worker. We've been on the streets for 2 years now. I'm 17 and Jodi is 16, when we are adults we are getting married._ Jodi smiled brightly at Jose and said, _so what's your story?_

Kyle said, _we were adopted as teenagers. _He was wondering how to continue without revealing too much. Jessi jumped in, _we grew up in an abusive environment, Kyle and I have known each other since we were little, let's say we grew up in the same small village._ Kyle continued, _we had to escape to protect our adoptive family, as the people that raised us are dangerous and would not leave us alone. I am almost 17 and Jessi is 16. _Then he added, _we are going to get married someday like you._ Hearing Kyle saying it made Jessi happy; she kissed Kyle's cheek and smiled at him. Kyle smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

Jose thought about it for a minute and said_, I understand, when you are born in to a gang, they will not leave you alone until they kill you or you go back. The gang I was born in to killed my older brother when he tried to leave. That is why we don't like to associate with gangs; we want a better life when we grow up. I am lucky that gang is NYC, and that I was removed from my family when I was 6._

Kyle and Jessi nodded their heads and then communicated mentally. Kyle said, _I never thought of Latnok as a gang, but it sure sounds like it. _Jessi said, _yes I just hope we don't have to go back._ Kyle said, _we are not going back even if we spend the rest of our lives fighting. _

They were almost finished with breakfast when an older African American Man dressed nicely and with a smile on his face approached them. He said, _Hi Jodi, Hi Jose, and you are?_ Kyle responded, _Kyle and Jessi._ The older man said, _I am pastor Williams, and I want to invite you to join our school, you will get breakfast and lunch for free every day, maybe you can also help me convince Jose and Jody to join._

Jessi smiled, and asked, _Do we need papers to join?_ Pastor Williams said, _no papers, just your first name, we don't need your last name until you graduate, so you can get a HS diploma._ Kyle said _when can we join? _Pastor said, _tomorrow is Monday, see me across the street at 7:00 a.m. The name of the school is Child Jesus all faiths school._ Jessi said, _we will be there, thank you pastor Williams._

After they left Jose said, _you learn work on the streets?_ _Yes,_ Kyle and Jessi answered. Jodi and Jose taught Kyle and Jessi how to collect aluminum cans out of trash cans and the side of the road. Then they showed them where they could sell them, they learned that the collection truck was in that spot at 6:00 am and 6:00 pm every day. They got paid 35 cents per pound; it took about 40 cans to make a pound. They also learned that 3 times a week a charity group handed out sandwiches, sodas and chips. Sunday's included. After they sold the cans and eat Jodi and Jose took them to the Martin Luther King Jr. Park, and showed them where the restrooms were. They also taught them how to get washed up in a public restroom.

* * *

Over in Seattle Declan, Josh and Lori were talking. Declan was saying,_ I never thought it would take so long to find Kyle and Jessi, I feel like I failed them and Tom. Tom tells me is not my fault, but it still feels like it. _Lori said _of course is not your fault. I am angry at them for leaving like this_. Josh said, _they were just trying to protect us, I just miss the super kids, I hope they come home soon; maybe they went back to their home planet. Shut up Josh,_ Lori said. Then Josh and Declan continued playing G-force and Lori went up to her room to practice her guitar.

In the kitchen Nicole was fixing dinner. Stephen was working on his computer. He was now working for UW as a professor. Stephen said,_ has that team of Dr. Cheng made any progress on finding the kids? No we got together last Friday and they had made no progress. We are getting together on Tuesday. It helps to talk to Shuang, we are just as worried, and we do not want to burn out other people talking about the children over and over. _Nicole said. Stephensaid,_ Nicole you can always talk to me. I love the kids as much as you do. I will never get burned out talking with you._ Nicole kissed him and said, _thanks Stephen._ Then she called the kids over for dinner.

Shuang was having dinner with her 3 children. She needed to talk to them about Adam, he was much better and it was time to bring him home. She started_ Kids you know how much I love you, right? _Adam responded, _of course we do mom. What is this about? _Shuang took a breath and continued; _well your father has been dead for 16 years now. I have reconnected with someone from my past; we were in love when we were younger. He has been sick, and I would like to bring him here for a while. _George said _that is fine with me, you are still young and have a right to be happy. _Then he laughed and said, _I knew it was more than business keeping you away._ Ella said,_ that is fine with me mom, as long as you are happy._ Adam said, _I am with Ella and George._

Shuang continued, _there is something more about him that I have to tell you. Adam, Ella he is your biological father. _Ella and Adam had shocked faces, George thought they were lucky, he never got to meet his father. Adam said _what do you mean mom? You have never talked to us about him, Ella and I always assumed he was dead._ Shuang said, _I know, I just wasn't sure if you would ever get to meet him. I left him when I was pregnant. I did not know if he would want anything to do with me now. I wasn't sure if he still loved me. When we reconnected both of us realize we love each other more than before. He would like to have the chance to meet you. He is a good man. We had communication problems when we were younger, both nothing more than that._

Adam and Ella were quiet; Shuang got a picture and handed it to them. She said, _that is Adam and I when we were younger. Adam I am sure you can see the resemblance. _Adam said, _you named me after him?_ _Yes I did after all he is your biological father. George your father knew about it and did not have a problem with it._ Shuang responded. Ella said, _I have seen some pictures of you before your accident. In this one however I guess you were about my age. I really do look like you used to look. I also have Adam's eyes; I always wonder where I got the blue eyes._

George took a look at the picture and said, _you guys do look exactly like your parents. _Shuang gave George hug and said, _so do you; you are a mix of George and me. I am sorry your Dad died before you had a chance to meet him, you have his generous heart and the same sense of humor._ George smiled at her. Then Shuang said, _so what do you say, is it okay if Adam comes to live here for a while, and would you like to meet him_. Ella answered, _it is fine with me for him to live here for as long as you want. I have to think about meeting him. _Adam said, _I feel the same way. _George told them,_ you might be much smarter that I am, but right now you are being stupid. Do you know what I would give for having a chance to meet my father for even a few minutes? Here you have a father that wants to meet you, and you've heard mom, she left before you were born. It is not like he abandoned you. I am very disappointed in you._ Shuang thought that he might not be as smart as his siblings, but he certainly had the common sense and heart of his father.

Ella and Adam could not believe that their little brother was talking to them like that he had never done that before. They never thought about him having a different father. They however understood where he was coming from. They thought that he was right they could at least give Adam a chance and take it from there. Adam said, _mom George is right; I will meet Adam and take it from there._ Ella said, _George we are lucky that you as our little brother; you have a lot of common sense, mom I will meet Adam too._

George smiled at his brother and sister and said, _not being a genius has its advantages, really guys you need to work on your common sense._ Shuang said, _George you have to guide the family with your common sense, a disadvantage of extreme intelligence is the lack of it. You have it all George you are a prodigy, and also have common sense. _George smiled at his mother and siblings not too sure if his mom was right or if it was her love that blinded her to the fact that he could not compare in intelligence to his family. Not that he minded, school was still very easy for him and he seemed to have more friends and a better social life that his siblings.

Tom was making a nice recovery. When he was ready to leave the hospital, Emily drove him to his warehouse and after taking a look at it, she said there was no way she was leaving him there. Tom protested and said,_ Emily I appreciate all you are doing for me, but this is where I belong. _Emily said, _Tom you are still recovering and there is no way that I am leaving you here to sleep on a cot and eat fast food, you are coming home with me._ Tom said, _Emily let me explain you. I don't deserve any better. I was driving drunk when I killed my wife and daughter, I don't know why I survived, I did not want to. Now the only thing keeping me a life is protecting Kyle, Jessi, and Adam. But I don't deserve to have a better place to stay in, even this warehouse might be too much for me. If it was up to me I would sleep on the floor, but Adam almost forced me to get a cot, a TV and a refrigerator. Then I had to get a couch for Ron and Declan. See Emily, I don't deserve any better._

Emily looked at him and realized that words would not change his mind. He truly believed he did not deserve to be loved, or treated nicely. She decided to use a different method and kissed Tom's mouth until he responded. Then she said, _Tom I know why you survived, so I would have a chance to love you, please do not deny me that. _Tom had tears in his eyes; he had fallen for Emily without even knowing while he was in the hospital. He said, _Emily I love you, and if after knowing who I truly am you still want me , then I am all yours._ Emily said, _then grab your stuff, so we can go home. I know who you are Tom, a caring loving man that made a mistake. I hope you can forgive yourself someday._

It was 6 am and Kyle and Jessi were standing in line to sell the cans they had collected. They woke up at 3:30 each morning and ran while collecting cans; they knew it was very important to keep up with their physical training. They thought Tom would be proud of them. Besides running in the mornings they went swimming for at least one hour after school, either at the beach or the public pool that was free and also had showers. They tried to take a shower at least a couple of times a week. With the money they made from selling the cans they had been able to buy two swimsuits for each one of them. Two pair of shorts, One T-shirt and a tank top for each, flips flops and 2 blankets. They of course had to buy them used at the Good Will. But they did not care, they were happy to have what they needed.

After selling the cans they ran to school with their backpacks. When they first got registered Pastor Williams gave each a backpack that contained a 5 subject notebook, a pen and a pencil, and some crayons. They had bought 2 drawing pads. When they got to school they headed to the kitchen where Mrs. Williams was starting to cook breakfast for the students that would start getting there in an hour. Mrs. Williams said, _Thank God that you are here to help me kids, before you came I had to do it all by myself, it is hard for an old lady._ Kyle and Jessi responded, _Good morning Mrs. Williams, we like to help you. _Kyle added, _you sure do not look like an old lady but a pretty lady. _Mrs. Williams responded, _Kyle I think you need glasses. _Then she laughed. Kyle and Jessi truly enjoyed helping Mrs. Williams she was a motherly woman, she was always kind. The added advantage was that they got to eat all that was leftover, making it easier for them to meet their caloric needs.

After helping Mrs. Williams and eating their breakfast Kyle said, _we will be back to help you with lunch._

The school was for homeless children and teenagers, some lived with their parents in homeless shelters, and most of the teenagers were on their own. It was easier for the children to attend that school rather than public school. They felt accepted and valued in that little school, plus they did not have to change school every time they moved from one district to another.

Kyle and Jessi greeted Jose and Jodi, they still lived together and had become good friends. Kyle and Jessi finally had been able to convince Jose and Jodi to give school a try. Jose and Jodi believed they were to dumb for school and that they were too far behind to even try. But Kyle and Jessi encouraged hem and told them that it was never too late to get and education and they thought they were smart. Reluctantly they had signed up and discovered that they could actually learn and enjoyed it.

The school was poor and lacked resources, however the teachers were enthusiastic and Pastor Williams who was the principal made sure to encourage each one of his students.

The middle scholars and High scholars, moved from classroom to classroom and were given individual assignments according to their grade and level. A different subject was taught in each classroom. Kyle and Jessi could complete their assignments very fast even with the added work that they were given by their teachers, that realized they were very gifted. After finishing, they went to help Mrs. Williams to cook lunch and then they helped tutoring students that were behind.

At 2:00 pm it was time for the students to go to group therapy. Pastor Williams realized that all his students came from troubled and traumatic backgrounds and had been able to recruit some retired psychologist and counselors to run the groups. The children could choose what group was most helpful to them and they had different groups for children and teenagers. Kyle and Jessi were attending the trauma- abuse group. They learned that many of their classmates suffered from nightmares from past abuse just as they did. That helped them to normalize the experience and not to feel that alone. They learned that relaxation techniques and journaling could be helpful. They also learned that they had some of the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, and were encouraged to seek further help.

School finishes at 3:00 and Kyle and Jessi decided to head to the public library to do some independent study. They were happy to have their schools IDs to show at the library. With them they were able to get a library card, and that entitled them to use the computers for an hour a day. They went to the library 3 times a week for 2 hours, to pursue their own interests. Then they generally went to get more cans and 3 times a week they went to a cliff where they practiced diving and climbing. They generally were home by 8:00 pm and shared dinner with Jodi and Jose, each pair of teenagers bringing what they had managed to scavenge that day.

* * *

Shuang was at the hospital, Adam was ready to go home. Shuang said, _I am so happy that you are better and coming home. _Adam said, _I am too, are your sure I am not imposing by going to your home? I could stay at a hotel until I find a new place to stay, since both of my houses are compromised._

Shuang responded, _of course you are not imposing. I already told you that our twins are in agreement and they want to meet you. George is in agreement too and seems happy that I am happy; he is a really good kid. Don't tell me that you do not want to live with me._

Adam said, _of course I want to live with you, it is what I want the most. I just don't want to cause problems._

Shuang said, _no wonder that you and Tom get along so well. Emily had a hard time convincing him to go to her home to finish recovering. _Adam said, _I am happy for Tom, he deserves to be in love again and have family_. Shuang said,_ Adam you deserve to be happy and have a family just as much as Tom. _Adam laughed and said, _thanks Shuang, I will stop being so difficult._

On the drive home Adam could not help but to be anxious. He knew that night he would get to meet Ella and Adam. He hoped it would go well. He was also worried about meeting George and hoped they could get along well.

At Shuang house there was an electric wheelchair waiting for Adam. He now could walk with a walker, but needed more physical therapy; he would be getting it at home. Shuang had had an elevator installed to make it easy for Adam to get around the house.

Shuang guided Adam to her bedroom where he would be staying. Shuang had 2 large walk in closets in the master bedroom. Ron had brought over Adam's clothes from his main house. Shuang had a maid arrange them for him. Shuang was happy to see that his good taste in clothing had not changed; he also had plenty of them, and as before they all were of the finest quality. That did not mean that Shuang was not planning on getting him a few outfits that she thought would look great on him.

* * *

Adam's POV

_I was in bed with Sarah; I still liked to think of her as Sarah. I understood that for safety reasons it was best to call her Shuang. It really did not matter; she was still the same beautiful woman. She had her head on my chest and appeared to be fast asleep. I had too much on my mind to go to sleep._

_I left the hospital that morning, and I was feeling much better. That idea of mine of going in to a coma, did save my life, but if it was not for Sarah, I would have died from complications after Tom's accident. I am so lucky she is back in my life. I love her more than ever._

_I was happy to be living with Sarah, and sharing the same bedroom with her, it almost felt like old times, but better. We were much better at communicating with each other. I did my best to really listen to her. Her good taste did not change at all, her house was beautiful, and every detail had been taken care off. _

_I finally got to meet my son and daughter, Ella looks just like her mom, she is absolutely beautiful. I was surprised at how much Adam looks like me and Kyle. Kyle and he could pass for identical twins other than the eye color. Ella and Adam are also incredibly bright, not as bright as Kyle, but certainly smarter than me and Sarah._

_Adam and Ella had a lot of questions. They wanted to know why I was not there for them when they were growing up. I tried to take full responsibility for the circumstances that lead to that situation, but Sarah would not let me, she tried to take full responsibility herself. That lead to the twins laughing and saying they could see we loved each other, and that probably the truth was somewhere in between the two versions. It was much easier after that it seemed like it was a good ice-breaker. Sarah had not fully explained holographic memory to them, however they had been using it anyway. They were able to understand that I did not find out about them until years later through my holographic memory. They respected the fact that I tried to find them even though I had no information and well it was pretty much an impossible task._

_I am happy that Ella and Adam are open to establishing a relationship with me. I will take whatever they have to give. It is not like I can come in to their lives and then expect for them to treat me like a father. That would be impossible, not to mention that I really do not deserve it. I already love them so much, the same way that I love Kyle. I am happy that they have had a much better life than Kyle, and let's face it they also have a much better mother. I don't know what I was thinking when I agreed to have a pod child with Grace. Sadly Kyle is the one paying for the consequences._

_Sarah has protected the twins from the knowledge of me and she, being created for experimental proposes. I guess that is good, of that way they can have normal happy lives. I wonder however how I am going to be able to introduce them to Kyle without them knowing the truth. Also how is Sarah going to introduce them to Jessi? That is however a problem for another day. First we have to find them. _

_I also met George, Sarah's youngest son. He is 16 just like Kyle and Jessi. He is a wonderful young man. He was friendly to me from the moment he met me, he is also very smart, I would say a prodigy, but certainly not as smart as his siblings. He is open to me living in his house, and said he is happy his mother has me in her life. He told me he hopes we can be friends. I of course thanked him and told him I would be happy to work on developing a friendship with him. I really like George._

* * *

Kyle and Jessi had just finished selling their cans and were in the sandwich line. When they got to the front of the line 2 little children were looking intensely at them, they were helping with distributing the food. Both of them were 5 years old, the girl had black skin, beautiful large black eyes, her hair was stilled in many tiny braids. The boy had medium brown skin, straight hair, a large mouth and a flat nose. His eyes were small and black. The girl had been adopted from Haiti and the boy from Guatemala.

After a minute of studding Kyle and Jessi they both said, _mom, dad, there are some people here that look just like Ella and Adam._ An Asian woman and a red haired man came to their children. They were about to tell them that it was not polite to talk about people like that when they saw Kyle and Jessi. The man said, _you look a lot like my niece and nephew, what is your name? _Jessi immediately got frightened and pulled Kyle they both took off running. Jessi was now very aware of how vulnerable her and Kyle were, and did not want to take any chances.

That night Shuang was talking by phone with Louis her sister-in law, they were more like sisters. Louis said, _Shuang how are Adam and Ella doing? They are doing well, they met Adam and things are progressing nicely, _Shuang said. Louis continued, _something strange happened this evening. We were distributing food to the homeless, when Lisa and Jack called us, to our surprise they were 2 teenagers there that looked a lot like Ella and Adam. Jack my husband tried to ask them their names, but they appeared frighten and took off running without even getting food. I thought I would let you know._

Shuang said, _thanks Louis with all that has been going on I have not had a chance to tell you. I have another daughter that was created by Latnok and she looks just like Ella, Adam has a son created by Latnok too, that looks like my son Adam. They were adopted by a family; however they recently took off to try to protect their adopted family from Latnok. Their adoptive parents, Adam and I have been worried sick. Adam had someone protecting them, but he got in an accident. I have had a team of 25 people looking for them with no luck. It sure sounds like it is them that you saw; they are very distrustful of people and with good reasons. Would you mind having our security team over in California trying to locate them, maybe they will go back to the same place. Their names are Kyle Trager and Jessica Emerson; they are both 16 years old. I will also have Ms. Ortiz concentrating her efforts in California._

Louis said, _I will immediately get in touch with our security team and have them work on finding those kids. I am sorry that you are going through this Shuang. I cannot even imagine how you are feeling. _

Shuang hesitantly asked, _Louis did Jessi and Kyle seem to be doing well?_

Louis said,_ I only got a quick look at them before they took off, but by the way they could run, I would say they are healthy. I have never seen anyone running that fast, other than maybe at the Olympics. Were they training for the Olympics at home?_

Shuang said, _I am glad they at least seem healthy. If they wanted I think they could compete in the Olympics, but they had no plans. They mostly use to train for safety. It is a long story I will tell you once I get to California. I have to let their parents know, and then Adam and I will be heading to LA._

* * *

Thanks to Jason Z0654, my beta reader. His help in invaluable and greatly appreciated.

Mc aj, thanks for reviewing'

Ideas suggestions are always appreciated.

Please review.


	18. The Hunt

Chapter 18

The Hunt

Grace Kingsley a powerful Latnok member and the egg donor of Kyle was talking to her son Michael Cassidy. She had had Michael at a young age with a high school sweetheart. Michael's intelligence was in the superior range; however Grace thought he was as intellectually challenged as his father. Michael felt inferior, having been raised among prodigies. Unconsciously he wanted his mother's full acceptance and worked very hard to please her.

Michael told his mother, _mum a contact has informed me that Cheng and Wallas Inc. is attempting to capture assets 781227 XY and 781228 XX . After dropping off the grid they have been located in LA. _

Grace responded, _we are not going to permit that. Latnok has invested a great amount of resources to create them. They belong to us. I particularly have a right to subject 781227 XY, after cooperating so fully with __**its **__creation. Michael do whatever is necessary to take possession of the subjects. Don't worry about the board, I will take care of that. _

_I will do as you say mum. _Michael responded. Then he went off to his office. At his office he was talking to Roger P. on the phone. Roger P. was saying, _as you know Mr. Cassidy my loyalty has always been with Latnok, just as instructed after Zzyzx bombing I infiltrated a powerful company as many of the Zzyzx security team did in different regions and companies for espionage propose. I have located the X subjects and managed to be in charge of the "hunt" of the subjects. My superiors have instructed me to be careful with the methods I use to "rescue" them, and that they want them unharmed. I of course will do whatever is necessary to make it easier for you to recover the assets. I have instructed my team to get them alive, and to use whatever methods are necessary. _

Michael said, _great job Roger, I will make sure you get rewarded for your loyalty. I will be on my way to LA , with a recovery team. Keep me updated.._

Kyle and Jessi got up early as usual, and were walking to school. Then Jessi noticed 2 men closing in on them. She said, _Kyle I think we are in trouble. _Trying to keep calm they started walking in the opposite direction. A group of 4 men started surrounding them. Jessi send an electromagnetic field towards the men, the men were paralyzed and fell to the floor Kyle and Jessi took the opportunity to escape.

They continued on their way for school, they apologized to Mrs. Williams for being late. By midmorning they were feeling safe and almost forgot the incident. Then they heard many helicopters flying over the school. Jessi started getting concerned and believed whoever it was trying to get them, was getting ready to ambush them.

After lunch, Jessi told Mrs. Williams that she was not feeling well and that Kyle and she would be leaving school early. Mrs. Williams gave them directions to the free clinic and told Jessi to come back to the school if she got worse, and offered to take care of her. After thanking Mrs. William's, Kyle and Jessi went out the back door of the kitchen.

Jessi said, _Kyle we need to escape, they are preparing an ambush. Look they have 3 helicopters flying over the school and look at the street there are several cars and some men on the side-walk. _Kyle said, _I am glad you remember all those war scenarios. I had a suspicion but I did not analyze the situation as closely as you._ Jessi said, _your brain was trained to provide the ethics of war not the details of the combat scenarios. _Kyle said half-jokingly, _right now I think it is highly ethical to flee and to fight to defend ourselves. _Jessi said, _I think the best escape route at this point is through the alleys. Run when I tell you, I am trying for us to run when the helicopters have a lesser chance to see us. _

Kyle and Jessi took off running using their full speed. When Jessi thought they had lost them temporarily she grabbed Kyles hand and both of them jumped on to a dumpster and from there propelled themselves over a wall, where they hid behind several trash cans and dumpsters. Jessi timed it right; no one saw them jump. The team of people trying to trap Kyle and Jessi divided, with one team staying in place with one helicopter and the other 2 teams exploring the surrounding areas.

Kyle communicated to Jessi mentally;_ I guess we are going to have to stay here at least until tonight._ Jessi responded mentally, _yes, I just hope there are no rats._ Kyle hugged Jessi and kissed her, there was not much they could do until the team of people left. Kyle then saw a few rats, he immediately, sent an electric current towards them killing them, he did not want Jessi to be frightened by them. Jessi send a mental thank you and shifted to get comfortable sitting against Kyle's body.

Unfortunately for Kyle and Jessi the team spend the full night in close proximity to where they were. Kyle and Jessi stayed awake and alert in case they had a chance to escape or maybe a need to fight.

In the early hours of the morning the team finally started leaving, only 2 men stayed. Jessi and Kyle saw it as their chance to escape after obtaining the position of the 2 men; they quietly snuck behind them, and knocked them out at once with a rapid blow to the head. Then slowly they made their way to the side-walk and tried to walk away without bringing much attention to themselves.

A man was following at a distance and made a call on his cell phone. Jessi and Kyle started walking away, but failed to see the man following them. Jessi said, _why don't we try to find some breakfast, and then we can put a plan together._ Kyle put an arm around her and said_, Jessi I think that is an excellent idea, I am hungry. _Then he kissed her careful not to get cars alarms started. They did not need the attention.

Jessi smiled at Kyle and said, _I love you very much Kyle._

Kyle and Jessi decided to take their chances at a Walmart and made their way to the back of the building. Then headed towards the trash bins. They were about to start looking for food, when they heard a helicopter, and then 6 men surrounded them. Kyle grabbed Jessi hand and told her, _jump to that truck._ The semi was actually moving and leaving the parking lot, Kyle and Jessi were doing their best to establish a link with the atoms of the surfaces. They were concerned about being blown off the semi.

The helicopter was following the semi, the helicopter went as low as possible and Jessi saw a sniper getting ready to shoot at them. Jessi yelled, _jump Kyle. _They both managed to jump to the side walk and the tranquilizer darts missed them. Kyle and Jessi evaluated their situation. Kyle said, _Jessi let's run towards the beach, when we get there we can bring that helicopter down. I think they will be able to land without hurting others, hopefully they will survive._

The beach was deserted so early in the morning. When they got to the beach, Kyle and Jessi extended their hands towards the helicopter and concentrated, each one was able to break 2 blades off and then have the blades landed safely so no one would get hurt. The helicopter started tumbling in the air, the men jumped in to the ocean, before the helicopter crashed in to the ocean.

Kyle and Jessi took off running toward downtown LA, figuring that the team would not attack them in public crowded places.

It was a night time at the Trager's household. Stephen and Nicole were in bed. Nicole was saying,_ I am so happy that at least there is a lead, and we are getting closer to finding Kyle and Jessi. _ Stephen said, _me too, when we find them after making sure they are unharmed, I feel like grounding them for the rest of their lives. They need to learn to talk to us before taking such serious decisions. We are their parents and we love them, they need to realize how much we care and how worried we are. I know they have good intentions, but that is not enough._ Nicole hugged Stephen and kissed him. She thought she was lucky to have such a good husband and caring father in her life.

Shuang, Adam and Tom were landing in LA. Tom said that even if he was still recovering he wanted to be there to help convince Kyle and Jessi to go home. He had promised Emily to take it easy and to go back to her home when he got back to Seattle. He would not admit it, but he really liked having someone that cared for him so much. He also enjoyed having Paige around she was such a lovely little girl.

On the way to Shuang's house she was saying, _Louis told me that our security team has located Kyle and Jessi, but are having a hard time establishing contact_. Tom said, _you know if they could get me close enough to them, I am sure I will have no trouble talking to them. They trust me, so it will just be a matter of walking to them. They trust my judgment; I think it would be no trouble to get them back home._ Adam said, _thank you for taking the time to earn their trust._ Tom said, _don't thank me, you and Shuang have great kids, and I love them as my own._ Shuang said, _I will make arrangements for security to take you near the kid's as soon as possible. Mrs. Ortiz told me that the local security team is handling things, it is more efficient than gathering the original team, as they were in different states searching for the kids. _

The limousine parked at the door of Shuang's estate in Laguna Beach, it was a 24,000 square feet beach front home located in a 1 acres lot. Shuang guided Adam and Tom to the house, again she had an electric wheelchair waiting for Adam, and the house had an elevator. Tom would be staying at the second floor master bedroom. Shuang and Adam would be staying in Shuang's bedroom on the third floor, it was the master suite, had a beautiful view, and was 2000 square feet. Shuang had already arranged for Adam to continue his Physical Therapy in California.

Shuang told Adam and Tom after lunch, _Gentlemen you are still recovering, why don't you go have some rest, in the mean time I am going to visit next door with Louis. She and her family will be joining us for dinner tomorrow to meet you. Mrs. Ortiz should be calling me soon to get Tom close to Jessi and Kyle._

Tom and Adam got in to more comfortable clothes, and then decided to lay in the lounge chairs by the swimming pool. The bar tender fixed them non-alcoholic cocktails to sip on. Adam and Tom enjoyed each other's company. _Tom said, I wonder what is taking that team so long; they should have already called to get me near Kyle and Jessi. I hate being sick, I should be the one looking for them. _Adam said_, you will be back in charge of their safety as soon as you are well, I know if you were in charge they would have already gone back home._

Shuang and Louis were siting drinking ice tea, Louis told Shuang,_. The rescue team is having a hard time keeping track of Kyle and Jessi. The team has some wild explanations as to why they cannot track their location at all times. The least believable is the one where they claim the kids brought down one of their helicopters, the excuses people will make when they are incompetent._

Shuang said, _thanks for all your help Louis, I cannot wait to see Jessi and Adam is anxious to see Kyle. Tell me how are my favorite niece and nephew doing? _Louis went ahead and filled in Shuang in all the details of Lisa's and Jack's Kindergarten experience.

Later that night at dinner Shuang asked, _Adam, Tom are Jessi and Kyle able bring down a helicopter?_

Adam said, _I don't know Shuang, Tom has been filling me in on their ability to move solids. I always thought that it was just possible to move liquids. What do you think Tom? It seems you are the expert on Kyle and Jessi._

Tom said, _It depends of how much they have been working on moving solids, or how desperate they are feeling. As I said before when Jessi gets emotional things start flying left and right in the warehouse. Also after getting the details of what happened in Madacorp from Emily, the kids are more capable than I would have imagined. They are also brave and determined. _Tom stopped there, thinking that it was unnecessary for Adam and Shuang to know all the details, he was not sure how they would react, after all they were their children.

Over in Downtown LA, Jessi and Kyle had managed to lose the team, by climbing up a 20 floor building. They did not find it that difficult, as they had done a lot off climbing with Foss and on the nearby cliffs. They were happy they were not carrying a 70 pound backpack. They were also able to use atom bonding by adjusting the molecules in their hands and feet depending of the type of surface they could switch the type of bond they used.

They waited hiding there for a few hours. Kyle said, _Jessi I think that we need to get out of LA, the team is not going to give up. _Jessi said, _you are right where should we go? Do you think maybe we can go back home?_ Kyle said _that is a possibility, but I think first we have to lose the team for good. I think if we hit down to San Diego, then we could call Foss and see if it would be safe to go back home._ Jessi said, _we could swim most of the way, of that way it will be harder for them to track us, especially if we stay under water for at least 10 minutes at the time. _Kyle said, _well let's get going._

Before they go to the beach, Jessi asked, _Kyle did you bring the money we had left with us, or is it in the back packs at school?_ Kyle smiled knowing what Jessi wanted, he said_, let's go to that McDonalds, we have enough money. We will need the energy and we definitely need to get hydrated._ Jessi smiled at him and they went in.

Kyle and Jessi started swimming towards San Diego, looking for boats or helicopters. Everything was going well, when they heard a helicopter, they immediately submerged, and swam towards small cliff where they thought they could hide. They were hiding at the cliff, and the helicopter was flying in circles trying to find them.

Shuang, Adam and Tom were eating breakfast in the panoramic dining room on the second floor. They had a good view of the beach. Tom asked, _have they made any progress in re-locating Kyle and Jessi. _Shuang responded, _no, I called when I woke up. The team assured me they will call me as soon as they have some news._

Shuang was looking out the window and saw her niece and nephew by the beach with their nanny; she knew their parents liked to sleep late on the weekends.

Lisa and Jack were playing by the beach their nanny was talking to the driver, who had come to spend some time with her as he had nothing else to do. Lisa and Jack, decided to get a surf board, and got on it. The currents were strong that morning and before they knew it they were far from the beach. They started asking for help, but they were too far for anyone to hear their cries.

A neighbor who was a 89 years old lady, did not have much to do, she had seen what was going on. She walked very slowly; it took her a while to reach the nanny and the driver. She told them, _the kids went off on a surf board. I think they might be in trouble._

The nanny started screaming for help, some of the house employees came out to try to help, but no one could see the children. Louis and Jack Sr. got up and ran towards the beach.

Kyle and Jessi were looking for the helicopter, when they heard 2 small voices screaming for help, and then they saw the surf board turn over with a wave, the children tried swimming but were too small to fight the currents.

Kyle and Jessi did not even think about it they simply dived in to the ocean and mentally Kyle said _you get the girl, I will get the boy._ It was not easy to get the children as the current was taking them away very fast. Kyle and Jessi had to use and incredible amount of energy to get to them and then to pull them to the surface. Once on the surface the current suddenly pulled them to a reef. They had no time to fight the current, so they used their own bodies to protect the children from the impact. Once they were able to get away from the strongest currents. They started swimming towards the beach. On the beach they noticed a group of hysterical people trying to get a sailboat in the water. So they swam in that direction as they figured out that they were probably looking for the children they had saved.

Tom was observing the scene from the balcony of his room. Shuang was busy calling 911 and giving them information.

Kyle and Jessi started walking towards the beach with the children unconscious in their arms. As soon as their parents saw them they ran towards them and took their children. Then Louis and Jack started CPR on their kids. Louis said, Jack _I need the defibrillator I need it too_ said Jack, and without thinking they both started running towards the cabana near the pool where they kept an emergency defibrillator kit.

Kyle and Jessi realized that no one had continued the CPR, so they walked towards the children and re-started CPR. The children had no pulse. Kyle and Jessi closed their eyes and determined the amount of energy that each child would need to restart the heart. Then disregarding how exhausted they were already, they applied the right amount of electricity to each of the children's chest.

The hearts of the children re-started. Kyles and Jessi fell exhausted to the ground. They managed to crawl out of the way and were trying to catch their breath.

The ambulance came and the children and their parents were rushed to the hospital. Shuang had been in the front of the houses helping her family, and was unaware of the events going on by the beach.

While Jessi and Kyle were lying on the sand trying to recover, 4 men dressed in black with sky masks approached them and started kicking them. It had been a direct order from Cassidy to beat them up during the recovery operation; he saw it as his only chance to get revenge. Michael had feelings of jealousy towards Kyle. Even if Grace only considered Kyle and experiment and a computer, she was extremely interested in his intelligence and how it could be used for the benefit of her operations, and it seemed like she never tired of talking about it. Michael not once had been complimented by his mother for his modest intellectual achievements.

Kyle was furious when he saw a man kicking Jessi. Jessi felt the same way when she saw the men kicking Kyle. They were so tired; they forgot to communicate with each other. With all that she had left Jessi extended her hands towards the ocean and directed a large wave towards them at the same time Kyle gathered electricity from a nearby light and then pulled Jessi with him, they jumped a considerable distance, the electricity and the water hit the men simultaneously. That is when Tom realized that it was Jessi and Kyle down there, as no one else would be able to jump so far, or use water and electricity to defend themselves.

Tom rushed towards the elevator and started running towards the beach as fast as he could, which was much slower than usual

The men that had attacked the kids were having seizures on the sand, as they were wet and the electricity had hit them harder than intended, and was still running through them as they were lying in puddles of water. No one was helping the men as the danger was too great, fortunate for them the nice 89 y.o. neighbor called 911. By the time they were rescued they nearly died from arrhythmias, and would probably suffer permanent brain damage.

Kyle and Jessi were now truly at the end of their rope, having not slept for 3 days, they were running a caloric deficit and had exerted themselves to the limit over the past few days, not even mentioning the heroic rescue of the children, that had left them injured, with multiple wounds on their backs and legs, from hitting the reef. They were slumped on the sand and looked exhausted, a trickle of blood coming out their noses from the excessive mental effort. Large bruises forming where they had been kicked.

Tom was approaching Kyle and Jessi and called their names, they attempted to get up but were unable to. Shuang had just realized what was going on at the beach, and was running towards Jessi and Kyle. There was not much Adam could do, he was a silent witness form the pool deck.

Tom got close to Kyle and Jessi, two men in black and with sky masks started approaching the children with weapons. Tom did not even think about it he pulled out his gun, and hit one of the men in the chest. The other man was shot by one of the bodyguards of Shuang, who had acted to defend Shuang from danger.

Tom carefully approached the men, he pulled the sky masks off and recognized them from the security team at Zzyzx. Shuang bodyguards took care of the bodies and the legalities of the situation.

Shuang kneeled in the sand near Jessi. Kyle and Jessi were on their sides, the back of Jessi's body fitted perfectly into Kyle's, who had his arms around her. Jessi's hair was on her face. Both of them were fighting to keep their eyes open, as there had been so much danger around them they did not feel safe. Both were willing to sacrifice themselves for the other if it came to that.

Shuang lifted Jessi's hair from her face and put it behind her ear. She put her hand under Jessi's face and lifted it from the sand then she said, _Jessi, honey, you are safe now. I will take care of everything. _Then she used the bottom of her blouse to clean the blood off Jessi nose and face. Jessi looked at her confused, she said, _Dr. Cheng? Yes, honey, but I am also your mom. _Now Jessi was truly confused and thought her brain had given out on her. She thought, I think I am hallucinating. I really need to get some sleep.

Shuang noticed Jessi's increased confusion, and did what every mom would do when their child is hurt and frighten. She gave Jessi a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Now Jessi responded well to that. Shuang hugs had always felt to Jessi like her mom's hugs. Jessi gave in to the hug, and started relaxing within a couple of minutes she felt safe and her brain shut down. Shuang kept holding her. Shuang was furious at the state of Jessi, who had several bruises on her body, and open wounds on her back and legs. She would have to suspend Ms. Ortiz and conduct a full investigation, as clearly the team in charge of rescuing Jessi and Kyle had failed to protect them and were nowhere to be seen.

While this was going on with Shuang and Jessi, Tom had a hand on Kyle's shoulder, and was looking at him reassuringly. Tom told Kyle, _Kyle I am taking care of things now, don't worry about Jessi, I will keep both of you safe._ That did it for Kyle he also allowed his brain to shut down.

Two members of the house staff approached them, and offered to carry Kyle and Jessi in to the house. They also had a couple of beach robes, from the swimming pool cabana, as they had noticed that Kyle and Jessi were shivering. After putting the robes on Kyle and Jessi the employees lifted them and started heading towards the house.

A few hours later Kyle and Jessi were lying side by side in one of the bedrooms. Everyone knew that it was important to keep them as close as possible to accelerate the recovery time. Almost at the same time they opened their eyes. The first thing they did was look at each other. Then Jessi asked, _Kyle do you have any idea of where we are._ Kyle said, _not really. The last thing I remember is seeing Foss._

Then they noticed 5 people around them. It was Shuang, Adam. Stephen and Nicole who had fly over as soon as they got news of Jessi and Kyle being with Shuang. Of course Tom was there.

Kyle got very confused when he saw Adam, thinking it was probably a fragment of his imagination, he decided to disregard it.

Before they could say a word, Jessi was being hugged by Nicole and Shuang and Kyle was being hugged by Stephen and Adam. Then Nicole got a chance to hug Kyle and Stephen got a chance to hug Jessi. Everyone had tears in their eyes.

Kyle finally asked , _where are we?_

Tom decided to answer; _you are at Dr. Cheng's house, and all the people that love you are here._

Shuang said, _I am sure that Jessi and Kyle would like to eat dinner, we can leave the rest of the explanations for later._

That sounded really good to Kyle and Jessi and they sat up. They noticed that they had been changed in to fresh PJ's and they had some refreshing ointment over their wounds. Also Shuang had carefully brushed Jessi's hair and put it in a ponytail. The pain they were experiencing was tolerable, at least for them.

After sitting for a few minutes, Jessi said, _I think I need some help standing up at least until I am sure I am not dizzy. _Kyle said, _me too._

_Shuang put a pair of sleepers on Jessi's feet and then Nicole and she helped her to her feet. Both Nicole and Shuang noticed a brief expression of pain on Jessi's face. _Shuang said, _are you sure you can walk Jessi? Yes thank you Dr. Cheng, _Jessi responded. Nicole added, _Jessi remember that you don't have to put up with pain, you are not at Zzyzx. I and Shuang love you very much, and don't want to see you suffer unnecessarily. That goes for you too Kyle. _Jessi smiled a thankful smile at Nicole and said_, thanks mom, I really missed you. _Nicole kissed her check and cleaned a few tears from her face. Kyle answered, _I am fine mom._

Kyle looked at Adam again and realized he looked very real, he hesitantly asked, _Adam is that really you or am I imagining things?_ Adam smiled and said, _it is really me Kyle, I owe you an explanation_, _but why don't we eat first._ Kyle turned to Stephen and Tom with questioning eyes. Tom said, _Kyle you are not hallucinating. _Stephen said, _I see Adam too son._

After diner Kyle and Jessi were very tired, it was decided that the conversation would be postponed until the next day. Shuang and Nicole stayed in the room with Kyle and Jessi all night. They helped them to drink fluids during the night and Shuang decided to give them some pain medication, even if they insisted that the pain was not that bad.

In the early hours of the morning, Stephen insisted on the ladies getting some sleep and he took over. When Kyle and Jessi opened their eye's, Stephen hugged them and told them, _kids please never do something like this again._ _I have never been so worried in my life._ Stephen was crying. Kyle and Jessi hugged Stephen and Jessi said, _I am sorry dad, I did not know you would worry that much._ Kyle said, _I am sorry too; I will never do it again._

The next morning after breakfast, Nicole and Shuang helped Jessi to take her shower and get dressed. Shuang also put ointment in the different wounds and determined that they were healing nicely. Both Shuang and Nicole were very upset with the extent of Jessi's and Kyle's injuries. Jessi asked, _who do these clothes belong to? They fit me really well. _Shuang said, _to your sister Ella, you and her have exactly the same body. The clothes that you have on are actually new, Ella has not had chance to wear them._ Jessi said, _I am really confused, we will be talking about it right?_

Kyle got help from Stephen and Tom. He was wearing Adam Jr. clothes that were also new. They also fitted him perfectly. Tom was furious at realizing the extent of Kyle's injuries, Stephen felt the same.

They all gathered in a medium size family room that was nice and cozy. Shuang mostly used it with her children. They were all sitting looking at each other. Kyles and Jessi were sitting on a couch, Jessi was leaning on Kyle and Kyle had an arm around her. Nicole was sitting near Kyle, and Shuang was sitting next to Jessi.

Finally Nicole decided to take the lead, she started. _Kyle and Jessi we are all gathered here because we love you and care about you. There are many things we need to discuss; I would suggest that we start with an explanation as to why you decided to leave without consulting with one of the adults that cares about you._

Kyle started, _when we went to the Madacorp open house Jessi and I got kidnapped. We were helped by someone to escape. The same person warned us not to go back home or we will be putting our family in danger when they send a retrieval team for us. _Jessi was a bit more emotional and said, _we just could not take the risk of any of the people we love being hurt like we were. I understand that you are upset at us, and I am sorry for hurting you, but I just would not be able to live with myself if those psychopaths got ahold of you._ By this time Jessi was crying and Kyle was hugging her as well as Shuang. Nicole wisely decided not to press them for details. Shuang thought that later she would try to find out what Madacorp had done to the kids, for them to take such a drastic decision.

Stephen said, _Kyle, Jessi don't you know that Nicole and I are willing to put up with any danger for you, we are your parents and we love you. I hope you understand how much we care about you. Do you know what it feels like to go to bed, not knowing if your baby girl is safe, or if your son is hurt? Please never do something like this again. If there is a problem we can work it out together._

Tom said, _Kyle and Jessi you just cannot continue to take such big risks, that is my job. I went to look for you when you were kidnapped, and unfortunately I was capture. But Declan was there waiting for you, you need to start listening to him when it comes to security. I know he is your friend but I have been training him to take my place someday. I know we can trust him because he cares about you as much as I do. He would never betray you, you know that, he has always been loyal, even before he knew all the truth. He believes just like I do that you can change the world, and we are willing to give our life to protect you. Declan has been blaming himself for the situation every day, he is just starting; don't make it this hard for him._

Jessi said, _for my part I will try not to do something like this again. It is just that Kyle and I are used to working as a team and relying on each other from all the time we spend in Zzyzx. It is hard to get used to having other people that care about you, but I really like having a family. If there is a big decision to make I will make sure to talk it over with the people that care about me and Kyle. _Kyle added, _I agree with everything Jessi said. I am sorry; in a way I have more responsibility in the situation that Jessi, because I have been out of the pod longer. But after many years of making decisions with just Jessi to consult, it is hard to get use to do it differently. But now that I am aware I will make better choices._

Adam and Sarah wondered what they were talking about, were they not supposed to have been unconscious in the pods? They would talk to the kids about it later. Sarah had heard from Tom and Nicole that the kids had consciousness inside the pods, but she still hoped against all hope that it was not the case.

Adam started, _Kyle I think you might take after me in trying to protect the people you love. That is what I was trying to do when I let you believe I died. I just did not want for you to have to go through my death twice if I did not survive. _

Kyle thought about it and said, _If I had not just gone through this experience I would be very upset with you. I understand you had good intentions just as I did. I am happy you are alive. I missed you. I do have a lot of questions that I need to ask you, but they can wait for some other time._

Adam said, _I will be happy to answer any questions you have whenever you want. I love you Kyle. I was very worried when I came out of my coma and found out you were missing. _After a moment Adam said,_ Kyle what do you think about formally introducing me to Jessi, she is as pretty as her mother, you are lucky to have her in your life, always take care of her._

After the introductions, and before Jessi could ask any questions Shuang started, _Jessi I think what I have been telling you is confusing to you. I don't know where the best place to start is. Just let me tell you that I love you and I am your mother, not a biological female progenitor, not an egg donor, not just even a biological mother, I understand if that is too much for you. But I cannot help loving you like a mother. I don't expect for you to reciprocate I am willing to start a relationship wherever you feel comfortable._

Jessi asked _how that is possible? I thought my eg.., biological mother's name was Sarah Emerson. Kyle and I found a picture of her and Adam, and I look like her. I do not look like you Dr. Cheng. Plus I thought Sarah was dead. _

Shuang said, _Jessi I used to be Sarah Emerson. I left because Latnok was trying to kill me. I was in an accident that destroyed my face. I had plastic surgery, and also the opportunity of a new life with a new name. I have 3 other children besides you. The 2 oldest are twins and are the children of me and Adam, they are 19. Ella looks just like you Jessi, except she has the blue eyes from Adam. In a way you look more like what I just to look like when I was your age. Adam, that is the name of your brother looks exactly as Adam looked at that age, and him and Kyle could pass for twins. Except for the eye color, he has hazel-green eyes like us. I also have a younger __son he is 16 like you and Kyle, his name is George. I had him with my husband. My husband and his cousin died in the same accident, where my face got smashed._

Adam added, _Jessi I have known your mother since I was a little younger that you and Kyle. Even if her face is different I would know her anywhere. We share a connection like the one I assume you and Kyle must share. Believe me you look exactly like she looked at your age. _

Jessi said shyly, _Dr. Cheng you do not hate me because I was created without your permission?_

Shuang responded, _of course not Jessi, it is not your fault. I am happy you were created. I am not even upset with the scientist that created you. I cannot be after meeting you. I just think I am lucky you are my daughter. The only thing I am upset about is the way that Zzyzx treated you. I am sorry I did not know about you sooner or I would have done my best to get you out. I am also sorry that I was not there for you after you managed to escape. I am very thankful to Nicole and Stephen for loving you and taking care of you._

Jessi said with a hint of a smile, _then you don't hate me, you love me and consider me your daughter?_

Shuang hugged Jessi crying, then she told her,_ of course I love you Jessi, you cannot imagine how worried I have been about you missing. I blame myself for not doing more for you, I am planning to correct that. I loved you from the first time I saw you and realized you were mine. I am sorry if I did not tell you earlier. I was afraid that you would reject me. _Jessi said, _really, I mean that much to you? Of course you do Jessi. _Shuang said.

Jessi asked, _I can still live with my family and Kyle right? _Shuang said, _of course Jessi, I just want you to be happy, I know how much your family loves you and how much you love them. I just hope that in the future you will realize that you have two families. _ Jessi said _what should I call you?_ _You can call me whatever you want Jessi_, Shuang said._ Would Shuang be okay for now, until I get used to the idea?_ Jessi responded. _Sure Jessi take you time, I don't want to pressure you. I just want us to get to know each other, and to form a relationship._ Jessi smiled at Shuang and gave her a hug.

Tom said, _I have one last issue I need to talk about. The men that attacked Kyle and Jessi yesterday are part of Latnok. I recognize them from the time I spent in Zzyzx. Four of them are in the ICU, I will see if I can get something out of them, when they're able to speak. Shuang have you ask you security team why they were unable to do a better job of locating and rescuing Kyle and Jessi. After all you gave them unlimited resources. I really don't buy that they are that incompetent._

Shuang said_. I agree with you Tom I think there is a problem. Maybe someone has infiltrated the organization. Ms. Ortiz has been suspended and I have a full investigation under way._

Tom asked, _you said there was a local team in charge at the end of the search. I was thinking that with Kyle's and Jessi's help we could see if any of you security team use to work for Latnok or its affiliates. You would be able to do that right Kids?_

Kyle responded,_ yes we have all the data, we even obtained an updated version when we were at Madacorp._

_Then that is what we will do_ Shuang concluded.

* * *

Thanks to Jason Z0654, my beta reader. His help in invaluable and greatly appreciated. Thanks for reviewing this chapter twice

Dani 98 I am glad you like the story.

Mc aj, thanks for reviewing, your reviews encourage me to continue.

Guest, I appreciate your suggestions. Thanks for reviewing.

Ideas suggestions are always appreciated.

Please review.


	19. Home

Chapter 19

Home

Stephen and Nicole flew back home, it was decided that Jessi and Kyle would stay with Shuang and Adam for the rest of the week, to finish recovering, and to get their school records transferred to Beachwood High.

Kyle, Jessi, Adam and Shuang were sitting eating breakfast. Tom said he needed to visit his "friends" at the hospital. Shuang said _Kyle, Jessi, how are you feeling this morning?_ Jessi responded _we are feeling better; thankfully we were in top physical shape before the current ordeal started._

Adam said, _what do you mean? _Kyle said, _I think what Jessi Is talking about is the past 5 days. After we escaped Madacorp it took us a while to recover, but we were able to take it easy as we had no set agenda, we traveled following the coast line and did not make any human contact to avoid trouble. I hope you don't mind me telling that it was actually fun. By the time we got to LA we were fully recovered and we worked very hard to get in top physical shape as we knew we were on our own. We also kept a very low profile. We have Tom to thank for teaching us all type of survival skills._

Jessi added, _we did fine until that "rescue team" started pursuing us. It really seemed they were more interested in capturing us at all cost that in protecting us or talking to us. Even with that we would have done fine, we were swimming to San Diego trying to lose them. The real trouble started when we decided to rescue those children, not that I mind. I would do it again. _

Kyle said, _I would do it again too. We did use a great amount of energy to save them from the currents, and then we had to protect them with our own bodies from a reef as we were unable to avoid it. We also had to get them to the beach as soon as possible as they were not breathing and had no pulse. That was hard on us because we were injured, and we had to disregard it to swim at full speed. Then came the part where we used electricity to restart they hearts._

Jessi continued, _Up to there we would have monished to handle, by hiding and waiting to recover. But it was when the men started kicking us that it was too much, as we were too weak to defend ourselves physically, the only thing we had left was to use our brain, and by that point we overused them. We are lucky that you found us, or we would have been captured._

Shuang walked to Jessi and hugged her, thankful to have her there safely with her. She did not want for Jessi to have to go through another kidnapping. Shuang said, _I am just so angry with my security department. They were supposed to find you and protect you. The persons found responsible will pay. Besides internal discipline, I will file criminal charges against them. I want to thank you both for saving Lisa and Jack they are my niece and nephew. Their parents will come to thank you personally as soon as the children get out of the hospital. Why don't we move to the family room to continue the conversation?_

This time they moved to a bigger family room that had a nice view of the bay. Adam asked,_ I am curious_, _what did you do to survive for so many weeks in LA?_

Kyle responded,_ we could not get a job, because we would have needed to reveal our names. We used the food finding techniques that Foss thought us. Then we were lucky, we became friends with a couple of teenagers about our age that are homeless. They invited us to live with them at an abandoned house, and thought us how to survive on the streets. At one of the soup kitchens we met Pastor Williams, and were able to enroll in the school he runs for homeless children and teenagers. Life would have not been that bad, if it wasn't because we missed our family so much._

Jessi added, _I actually like Pastor Williams School better than Beachwood High._

Shuang was curious about that statement and asked, _why is that Jessi? _Jessi responded,_ well for one thing Pastor William actually liked us, and was always very encouraging. He did not make us feel like we did not belong there. We also had more in common with the students there than with any other teenagers we've met._

_What do you mean Jessi? _Shuang asked, that made no sense to her. If anything she thought that Jessi and Kyle should transfer to the exclusive prep school that George was attending.

Jessi said,_ they all had bad childhoods, like us, the only difference of course is the reason. They never asked us where we came from, and if we acted differently they never gave us strange looks or questioned us about it, actually most people acted strange. I did not have to worry about what I would wear; it seems at Beachwood High I am always making the wrong decision on clothing. _

Shuang thought she would have to reflect on Jessi's words. It was a completely new situation for her as a mother. Her other children, had always gone to a school where they fit in socially and economically. If anything the only problem was that they were smarter.

Adam asked,_ what you mean by bad childhoods, if anything I thought you had missed out on having a childhood._

Kyle said, _Adam that is what I need to talk to you about. I have many questions. Let me ask you, what made you think that we were unconscious in the pods?_

Adam responded,_ the paralyzing agent was supposed to induce a comatose state._

Kyle said, _do you remember the formula for the paralyzing agent? _Adam said, _of course. _Kyle said, _would you mind writing it down, and Jessi and I will write the formula independently._ Shuang had a member of the house staff go and get them some pens and paper.

Adam, Kyle and Jessi finished writing the formula. Kyle's and Jessi's version was identical, Adam's version was not.

When Adam saw Kyle's and Jessi's version he became very pale and put his head between his hands, he could not stop himself from crying.

Shuang wondered what was going on so she took the formula from Kyle's and Jessi's version and compared it to Adam's version. She had an arm around Adam while doing this. She quickly realized that Jessi's and Kyle's version was lacking the coma inducing component. She then realized that Kyle and Jessi had been effectively paralyzed, but conscious. She was shocked. She did not know what to do or say. She understood why Adam was in his current state and wished she could do something to make him feel better. Was that even possible? If she showed too much sympathy towards Adam would Jessi get upset with her? After all Jessi was the one that suffered the consequences. Shuang could not even face the implications at this time.

Kyle did not expect that type of reaction, neither did Jessi. Jessi understood that if there was any chance of continuing the conversation and getting answers Adam had to calm down. She also realized that Shuang was probably feeling conflicted, but if Shuang loved Adam even half as much as she loved Kyle, then she needed to feel free to comfort him.

Jessi said, _Shuang I am fine, Adam needs you._ Shuang was surprised by Jessi's reaction it was full of compassion and understanding. She knew if her twins had been in a similar situation, they would not have reacted like that. It was hard enough to get them to even meet Adam. She smiled at Jessi and said, _thank you._ Then Shuang hugged Adam, Adam put his head on her chest and cried while Shuang comforted him.

Jessi told Kyle, _Kyle what are you waiting for do something. _Kyle had been hesitating between hugging Adam, and being angry at him. Jessi's words made him realize that he could hug Adam without losing his right to hold him responsible and ask more questions. Hugging Adam would just let him know that he loved him, despite whatever mistakes he might have committed. Kyle walked towards Adam and gave him a brief hug and said,_ Adam the things we are talking about are in the past, I only need answers._

Adam said, _I am sorry Kyle; they must have changed the formula after I lost control of Zzyzx. I know I should not be the one crying but you and Jessi. I just never intended to do something like that to you, it was the farthest thing from my mind._

Jessi said, _how long had Kyle been in the pod when you lost control of Zzyzx?_

Adam was now calmer and Shuang still had an arm around his shoulders and was holding his hand. Adam said, 2_ years, I intended to get him out then. Kyle would have been a 15 month old baby. Kyle I tried to get you out, but I failed you, I am sorry. _

Jessi was curious and said, _mmm, I know is none of my business but why did you create Kyle_?

Adam said, _they were several reasons. One was that I was obsessed with increasing human intelligence. I was a result of an experiment myself, that blinded me to how unethical it is to experiment with human beings in such a drastic way. Jessi your mother tried to talk some sense in to me, I just would not listen. The most important reason to create you Kyle, was that I wanted a son with superior intelligence, a son that could change the world. Now when I look at it I can see how selfish I was. I should have wanted and loved you Kyle because of who you are._

Kyle looked at Adam with a serious face and asked, _Adam when did I stop being a son to you and became just an experiment?_

Adam looked at him and said, _What makes you think I stopped loving you as a son? _

Kyle said, _when I lived with you, you never told me you considered me a son. You were always just a mentor. I thought you were only interested in me because you wanted to evaluate the results of your experiment._

Adam said, _Kyle I am not going to lie to you. I am interested in knowing your potential. But more than anything I love you as a father. I went through years of misery, not being able to have you with me. Having no control over what happened to you. The only thing that helped me keep my sanity was having Tom keeping me informed of what was going on with you. When you went to live with me you were angry at me, and I don't blame you. You already had a family. I had hoped that with time you would come to see me as a father. We just did not have enough time, before I got shot. I am sorry Kyle, I still have hopes that someday you will see me as part of your family, I know I have to earn it._

Kyle looked and Adam and said, _We can work on that, I am interested._

Jessi said, _if Kyle had been in the pod for 2 years, I had been in the pod for 18 months. I know we had consciousness before that. I assume that they stop using your formula Adam without your knowledge. To be honest, I am glad they stop using your formula. I think having a bad childhood is better than having no childhood. Not all was bad, Kyle and I had each other, that in my mind made up for everything else. _

Kyle hugged Jessi tenderly and kissed the top of her head, then he said, _Jessi is right, it might not have been easy, but I would not change it. Having spent most of my life with Jessi is the best thing that has ever happened to me. The only thing I would have changed, is not leaving Jessi there alone for 9 months. I would have gladly stayed in the pod longer for her. _Jessi looked in to Kyle's eyes and kissed him lightly. Kyle then looked at Adam and said, _I am glad to know that you did not plan it like that. I honestly could not imagine you doing something so cruel. _

Shuang asked a question hoping to learn more about what Jessi's life had been in Zzyx. _Kyle what do you mean?_

Kyle took a breath and said, _I mean is cruel to leave a person paralyzed inside a pod for years, without having use of their bodies, treating them like objects, and conducting experiments on them. Jessi and I did not even know what we were._

Jessi said, _I still have trouble knowing what I am, I know my mom tells me I am human. But if I am human then why can I interface with computers so easily? That could be explained by training, but is that all that it is? Also if I am supposed to be human then why are there companies that think I belong to them?_

Kyle added, _I have the same problem as Jessi. I am leaning to think that Jessi and I are a different type of human. We have the same genome as everyone else. I believe the difference is in the epigenetic factor. I think humans will eventually evolve to what we are; we are just ahead by at least two hundred thousand years. While you and Sarah are ahead by a smaller fraction of time and therefore are able to fit in easier._

Sarah and Adam reflected about it. It made sense, especially in light that the twins had inherited their intelligence, and actually surpassed it. The conversation ended there, no body felt like continuing and all were concerned about Adam's health. He did not need more bad news that day, there would be time to ask more question in the future.

Kyle and Jessi were lying in the lounge chairs by the swimming pool dressed in the bathing suits of their biological siblings. They were in no condition to swim yet. They were just enjoying the view.

Jessi said, _Kyle I have an idea. I am tired of waiting for the wounds to close. I tell you what. I will heal you and then you heal me. It should not take that long._

Kyle smiled at Jessi and said, _you know it will take a lot of energy, we will probably spend the rest of the day sleeping._

Jessi said, _come on Kyle, I just cannot wait any longer, we have nothing to do anyway._

Kyle said, _Jessi if that is what you want then let's do it. Just promise me that you will not push yourself to the point of bleeding._

Jessi responded, _Kyle shut up and let me start._

Kyle lay on his belly and Jessi concentrated on each and every wound and accelerated the healing process. She took care of Kyle's wounds in about 45 minutes, there was no scaring and his skin was nice and smooth. She did not have a nose bleed but almost fainted at the end. Thanks to Kyle's fast reflexes he was able to catch her and lay her on the chair. Before starting on Jessi, Kyle asked the bartender to get Jessi and himself some orange juice. He helped Jessi to drink her orange juice, and then he gulped his down and started working on Jessi's wounds while she was fast asleep. Kyle thought, She is just so beautiful inside and out, I just love her so much. I need to increase my abilities to be able to defend Jessi. I hate seeing her get hurt.

Kyle was finished after about an hour, he had been very careful, and made sure that the new skin of Jessi would match the surrounding skin perfectly. Unfortunately for Kyle, Jessi was sound asleep and when he felt dizzy he ended up passing out on top of Jessi.

Shuang had left Adam sleeping in their bedroom and was making her way to the swimming pool deck to spend some time with Jessi and Kyle. That is when she saw the bartender, lifting Kyle from Jessi and laying him in a lounge chair. The bartender was happy to see her. He said, _Mrs. Cheng I do not know what happened to Ms. Emerson and Mr. Trager. They were standing over each other, and then Ms. Emerson almost fainted. Now Mr. Trager just fainted._

Shuang checked on Jessi first, she immediately noticed that all the wounds from Jessi's body were gone, her pulse was normal and regular. Her body temperature seemed normal. Her respiratory rate was normal and she appeared to have no problems breathing. It appeared she was simply in a deep sleep. She found the same results with Kyle. They did not seem in any immediate danger, she would have to ask later what this was all about.

She asked the bartender to get some help and get a kiosk over Kyle and Jessi as well as a couple of fans. Shuang did not want for them to get sunburned or overheated. When the kiosk and fans were in place, Shuang drew the mosquito nets around and got comfortable, she was planning to stay there until Kyle and Jessi were up. The bartender made her a juice cocktail, and brought her a plate of fruit to munch on.

Tom got back from the hospital and asked the butler to take him to Shuang. He went inside the kiosk, and asked with a resigned tone, _what did they do to get themselves exhausted?_

Shuang said, _it must have something to do with all their wounds being gone._ Tom took a look and said, _you are right; at least they did not push themselves to the point of bleeding. Maybe they are finally learning to pace themselves._

Shuang asked Tom, _Tom so are they capable of healing each other?_ Tom answered,_ yes, but they can also heal others. It does take a lot out of them though. Actually Adam taught Kyle how to do it. I thought you would be able to do it too._

Shuang said, _I guess I could learn, but, I really never been much in to mind tricks, especially now when I see the effects it has had on Adam's body. Were you able to find something over at the hospital?_

Tom said, _yes, I was not able to get in the rooms. Because some guards were at the doors, then I got lucky and Cassidy showed up. That pig he ordered for the 4 men to be killed. I guess they deserve it. If Cassidy was there then Grace must be involved. I am not sure if Latnok knows about what they did. They are very good at secret operations._

Shuang said, _the last time I saw Michael he was a child. Too bad he grew up to be like Grace. What do you know about what Grace is involved in?_

Tom said, _she is a member of the Latnok board, in charge of the outreach educational programs for university students. She also manages a little empire of her own, it is unclear exactly what her branch of business is, most of her subsidiaries are in Africa, or at least that is the official version. _

A few hours later Tom decided to wake Kyle and Jessi up, they needed rest, but they also needed food, to stay healthy.

As soon as they were up Jessi said, _race you to the other side of the pool Kyle, _then she took off running, Kyle grabbed her by the waist but she squirmed away, Kyle was not about to give up, so after Jessi dove in to the pool, he jumped on top of her and grabbed her by the waist again. Kyle was in a very playful mood. He had Jessi in a hug and she managed to break loose when a thunder storm started; unfortunately the first sing of the storm was lightening hitting the swimming pool. Shuang screamed in fear for her daughter. Tom was not as scared, but he still did not know what to expect. Adam had just joined them after the kids ran to the pool, and was panicked over Kyle's safety, he could not even speak.

Kyle and Jessi had so much electricity in their bodies that they were almost glowing; they knew they had to take care of the problem. They got close to each other and Kyle said _let's get out from the swimming pool._ Jessi said, _it might be safer if we form a closed electrical circuit and get rid of the excess electricity in a controlled way_. Kyle said, _that is a good idea. Let's get to the beach, we don't want to fry the house wiring._

Tom was approaching Kyle and Jessi and called their names. Kyle yelled at Tom, _Tom don't get any closer, we have excess electricity we are going to get rid of it. Please stay away and don't let anyone get close._ Then they made their way to the sandy beach.

At the beach, in perfect synchrony Kyle and Jessi grabbed each other's hands. With a twinkle in his eyes Kyle said, _what do you think about doing this the fun way?_ Without a word Jessi leaned towards Kyle and they united their lips in a passionate kiss. They channeled the electricity towards the ground. Never the less in a 2 mile radius car alarms went off, lights flickered and burned out, the traffic lights stop working causing a traffic jam.

Shuang and Adam were watching from the Pool deck. They did not know what to think. They were happy the kids appeared to be well. Shuang felt a bit uncomfortable seeing Jessi engage in such a passionate Kiss with Kyle, especially since they were in bathing suits. What else could they have done when they were unsupervised, in the wilderness? She did not even want to think.

The bar tender started thinking after seeing so many unusual things, I should listen to my wife when she says I am drinking too much. First thing in the morning I am going to AA.

Once safely in the house Shuang rushed to hug Jessi and started crying. Adam was hugging Kyle. Tom was feeling amused, Shuang and Adam really had a lot to learn about their children. Jessi and Kyle had no clue as to why their parents were acting like that. When Shuang calm down, Jessi asked with an innocent face, _mmm. guys what is going on?_

Shuang was surprised when Jessi asked that question, the innocence on her face made her realize that she truly had no idea of why her and Adam were so frighten. That made her want to protect Jessi even more.

Kyle and Jessi were still looking at Shuang and Adam with inquisitive eyes. Tom decided that geniuses some times needed a regular guy like him to interact with each other. He said, _Kyle, Jessi your parents are not used to being around you that much and guys you have to admit that you are full of surprises. Most people would be dead after being hit by lightning. _Tom wondered why he needed to explain the obvious to Kyle and Jessi, when they were super geniuses. Maybe that was why.

Kyle and Jessi said, _Oh!_

Then Kyle said, _sorry for getting you worried guys. I mean we had nothing to do with the lightening falling in the swimming pool. But we can manage electricity quit well, particularly after our Madacorp experience._

Adam said,_ I am glad you are able to handle electricity I thought you were going to die. It will take a while to get used to all the things you can do._ Shuang shook her head in agreement. Then asked, _what happened at Madacorp?_

Jessi thought about it and decided that it would be best to spare them the details, if seeing them getting hit by lightning got them in that state, what effect would it have on them to know the details of the kidnapping?

Jessi said,_ basically we destroyed their computer system, and obtained some data in the process. _Then she smiled her most sincere and innocent smile.

Shuang insisted, _but what did they do to you?_

Kyle said following Jessi's lead, _ well they kidnapped us and connected us to the computer system, after bringing the system down, we escaped, and got some help in the process._ _That's it in a shell. _Then he said, _isn't it dinner time?_

That night Shuang, Adam and Tom announced that it was time for Kyle and Jessi to sleep in separate bedrooms since they were doing so well. Jessi rolled her eyes, Kyle seemed annoyed. Neither one protested, they knew it was useless to try to reason with adults about sleeping arrangements. It was all about those stupid social rules that made no sense to them.

Shuang took the opportunity to go and tuck Jessi in to bed. Then Shuang asked, _Jessi do you mind if I sit with you in bed for a while?_

Jessi smiled and said, _not at all. _Jessi wanted to get to know Shuang as much as Shuang wanted to get to know her. Shuang propped herself up with pillows and sited next to Jessi, then she put an arm around her shoulders in a motherly fashion. Jessi liked it and made herself comfortable leaning on Shuang.

They sat there for a while without talking, enjoying the physical closeness. Then Shuang started, _you know Jessi you remind me a lot of myself when I was your age, especially your personality. My other children are really not much like me in that. I think because they have had a good life. Would you like for me to tell you a little about myself Jessi? I would love to hear about you Shuang, I am really interested._ Jessi responded.

Shuang started,_ I was a product of prolonged gestation, just like Adam. Adam was the first to survive and I was the second. Professor Kern stopped after that. Just like Adam's mom, my mother died after my birth. Professor Kern was already involved in raising Adam, he did not want me and Adam to grow up together, the plan was for us to fall in love later, and to have children together. Professor Kern thought our intelligence would be hereditary. He was right, Ella and Adam, are smarter than me and Adam, they had a normal gestation. _

_Anyway, I was placed with a family to raise me. They did not care about me they did it for the money. They had children of their own. I had teachers working with me since I was a few months old, just as Adam did. When I was 5, I was placed in a prestigious boarding school. It was very hard for me to leave the people I thought of as my parents and siblings. They could not have cared less, I never saw them again, they never even called by phone. I spent the rest of my childhood in boarding schools. I was a very angry sad girl. I was tested periodically by Professor Kern assistants. _

_Then when I was 13 Adam and I were placed in the same boarding school. The plan of professor Kern worked we fell in love. It was impossible not to. We were so much alike, there was no one else like us._ Jessi smiled and said, _I can understand that._

Shuang continued, _ In those days Adam was extroverted, outgoing and had charisma. I was introverted abrasive and emotionally untestable. At least that is the way people saw me. With Adam I could be myself, I loved him so much, I was always sweet and supportive to him. I guess that really has not change that much, despite the years and the separation. Other people could not understand why we were together. Eventually that got in the way of the relationship. We each went our way. After having Ella and Adam, and marrying George I changed, I had the family that I always wanted. Even after George died I had Louis my sister in-law and her husband Jack. Louis is like a sister to me and Jack like a brother._

_I have never told any of this to Adam, Ella or George, I had always tried to shelter them so they could have happy childhoods and a normal life. I am so happy you are in my life you make my family complete. I wish I could have sheltered you and given you a happy childhood like your sister and brothers had. I will do my best to be a good mother to you now. I am happy I don't have to hide the truth from you. I hope eventually you will trust me enough to tell me more about yourself. _

Jessi gave her a hug and Shuang kissed Jessi's head. Then Jessi said, _Shuang would you help me to understand why it is inappropriate for me and Kyle to sleep in the same bed or tub. I know it has something to do with social rules, but it still makes no sense to me._

Shuang said, _I need to know something's first Jessi, and then I think I might be able to be of some help. Tell me Jessi how close would you say Kyle and you are?_

Jessi responded, _ very close, we sensed each other since we were young babies at some point we did not even know we were separate beings, we realized that when we were around 2. We were always connected, we are used to working as a team it just comes natural; we do not even have to talk to know what the other is going to do. We only had each other for most of our lives, we had fun together, dreamed together, we supported each other through the many difficulties, and have always been willing to sacrifice for each other. I think the only reason we are out of the pods is because we fell in love and wanted to get out. Our plan did not go exactly as we wanted, but we are out and together regardless. Kyle says when we are adults we are going to get married, I like the idea._

_How physically close are you and Kyle?_ Shuang asked. Jessi said, _that is a hard question. Let me think, we like hugging and kissing. I hope you don't get upset, the first time I took a shower, I took it with Kyle, we did not know we were not supposed to, our mom told us later. We also have seen each other naked most of our life as we grew up in Zzyzx in a "tank" we had no concept of clothing. During our trip to LA we went swimming, it is not like we had a bathing suit. I have learned enough to know that most teenagers would have had sex in those scenarios; But Kyle and I are not ready, we like to take things slowly. There is so much we have to learn, we are in no rush._

Shuang hugged Jessi, thinking that Jessi's life certainly had been different. There was probably no real way for Jessi to understand why she needed to sleep apart from Kyle, actually there was no real reason so she said, _Jessi your life experiences have been very different. I see why the rule of male and female teenagers not sleeping together makes no sense to you. To be honest, the general rule really does not apply to you or Kyle, in your case is just a rule that you have to follow to fit in. You and Kyle will be adults soon enough and then you do not have to worry about that rule._

Jessi said, _I see it makes sense to other people but not to us. At least I am glad you see that is a no sense rule for us. I guess Kyle and I can live with that rule for a while longer. We are connected all the time anyway._

Shuang and Jessi continued sitting for a while longer until Jessi went to sleep. Shuang shifted Jessi to a comfortable position covered her and watch her sleep for a while before leaving the room. She was happy Jessi and her were getting to know each other.

Kyle, Jessi and the others would be flying home later that day. They were having a conversation over breakfast.

Kyle said, _there is something that Jessi and I would like to talk to you about. We have been talking and we do not want to put you in danger. Adam, Latnok thinks you are dead, it is better that way. I do not want to see you getting shot again. I don't want you to die, I need you guiding me and being enthusiastic about what I can do._

Jessi said, _Shuang I don't want Latnok finding out that you are Sarah, you know how dangerous they are. Also Kyle and I think it would be best if you do not get your 3 children involved in this mess. Kyle and I of course would like to meet them, after all Ella and Adam are the siblings of both of us, and George is my brother. But it is too dangerous at the moment. We can wait until the danger diminishes. It's bad enough to worry about one of our families, we do not want to worry about you being in danger because of us._

Shuang said, _but Jessi I want to spend time with you, I want both of us to get to know each other. I want you to truly have two families that love you._

Jessi said, _Shuang I want the same, we could still do things together if you officially become a mentor to me, of that way Latnok will not be suspicious._

Adam said, _Shuang I think that it is a good idea. I would hate to see you, the twins or George in danger. You have really sheltered those children; do you really want them to know the pain that the four of us have known?_

Sarah said, _I see you really care guys, we will follow your plan for now, but I am not planning on leaving the situation this way forever there has to be some way to stop Latnok._

Jessi said, _I agree Latnok has to be stopped. We can start by giving you these drawings of all the people that were involved in the "rescue teams", we have marked the ones that match the Latnok database. We also drew the 3 helicopters involved with details for you to match against your database. Jessi gave Shuang detailed pictures of the team members there were in total 40 people involved._

Kyle said, _when we get to Seattle if you want we can_ _get connected to your employee database and match it with the greater Latnok database to see if any of their members has infiltrated your organizations._

Adam asked, _what do you mean by connected Kyle?_

_I mean that Jessi and I think we can replicate the head pieces from the CIR machines to connect directly with computers. That would allow us to get things done much faster._ Kyle said.

* * *

Thanks to Jason Z0654, my beta reader. His help in invaluable and greatly appreciated.

Mcaj, thanks for reviewing, I hope you like this chapter.


	20. Seattle

Chapter 20

Seattle

Kyle and Jessi were dropped off at the Trager household. Adam and Shuang decided not to go in with them, to give the Trager's uninterrupted family time.

When Jessi and Kyle walked in the house, they found their friends and family waiting for them with a welcome back party. It had been Declan's idea. Nicole had approved of it after some serious reflecting. She figured out that the party should help Kyle and Jessi to realize how many people cared about them, and also increase their sense of belonging. In her opinion the underlying reason for their departure, had been not understanding how important they were to their family and friends, and not realising that by leaving they would hurt them more than Latnok ever could. Stephen agreed reluctantly, and reserved his right to ground them.

Kyle and Jessi were very surprised, they were speechless. The Declan walked towards them and hugged them saying, I_ am so glad you are back. I was so worried about you, I feel I failed you. _

Kyle looked at him in the eye and said, _Declan please don't think like that, you did not fail us, you are the most loyal friend, and from now on we will trust you in matters of security. _ Jessi gave Declan a hug and said, _we do trust you, and we missed you._

Kyle and Jessi walked towards Nicole and Stephen and Jessi said, _we are happy to be back home we missed you all. _Stephen said, _we are happy that you are back, we missed you very much._

Then Josh grabbed both Jessi and Kyle in a bear hug, he said, _welcome back super girl, welcomed back Kyle. _Andy welcomed them back too, not knowing why they had been gone.

Amanda had been invited to the party, she approached Kyle and Jessi and said, _I am glad you are back. I missed having such good neighbors. _She thought_,_ Kyle looks like a Greek god, his muscles are so well defined, and that tan looks great on him. Unfortunately Jessi looks like a goddess; there is no chance Kyle will even take a look at me.

Lori was standing in a corner looking angry, she had not even invited Hillary. Kyle and Jessi decided to approach her. Lori said, _do not even think about getting closer, I hate hugs! You idiots, don't you know how worried, I… Mom and dad were. And you Jessi I see how wrong I was in thinking you cared to be my sister._ Then she started storming away, when she was a few steps away, she suddenly turned with tears in her eyes and hugged a surprised Kyle and Jessi. Lori said, _you might be geniuses, but in my book you are complete retards, don't do something like this again._

* * *

Kyle and Jessi had been back for about a week, they had been grounded by Stephen for 2 weeks. They almost felt like thanking Stephen for grounding them, it gave them a chance to enjoy their home, and not to worry about being captured. Jessi was almost floating with excitement and happiness, after her family showed her, her new bedroom. She loved having her own space, and it made her feel like she belonged. At school Principal Hooper, had accepted the transcript from California, however he said, they would need to take a summer class, to make sure they had attended school for enough days.

That morning after training with Foss, Kyle and Jessi were getting ready to run to school for discussion group, when Shuang's limousine pulled up, out of it came Shuang, and told them she would give them a ride.

Shuang hugged Jessi even after Jessi warning her that she really needed to take a shower. Once they were in the limousine Shuang started, _I spoke to Mr. Hooper yesterday about that nonsense of you taking a summer class. I could not talk him out of it, but he agreed that you could take your summer class by interning at one of my facilities; I hope that is okay with you._

Jessi reacted by giving her a bear hug, Kyle was smiling from side to side and manage to say, _Thank you that sounds great_. _We have a few projects that we want to work on this summer, and we were going to ask for your help anyway._

Jessi said excitedly, _the first thing we want to do is make the head pieces to be able to connect with computers directly. Then we want to work on the model for more powerful solar cells, we really want to finish our car, but we need powerful computers to finish the design. Finally we want to work on getting rid of our nightmares, and to do it faster we thought you could let us map our brain activity on your PET scan, of that way we can see if what we are doing works._

Shuang smiled at Jessi's enthusiasm and said, _you are planning to do that this summer?_

Kyle said with concern, _If that is not enough, I am sure we can come up with some more projects._

Shuang now laughed and said, _Kyle, Jessi, each project probably would be enough for a lifetime for most people, I don't think you will needed anymore this summer, take some time to relax._

* * *

Kyle and Jessi were at the rack drinking a smoothie; they overheard Andy telling Josh that they could not see each other anymore and then she gave him kiss on the cheek, and ran out crying.

Kyle and Jessi looked at each other and stood up. Kyle went to Josh and Jessi ran to find Andy.

Kyle reach the counter where Josh was, he looked like he was about to cry. Amanda was working that evening, noticing the situation she said, _Josh why don't you take a break, I have it covered._

Kyle and Josh went to sit at Kyle's table. Josh said, _I cannot believe she wants us to break up when she needs me the most. I want to be there for her .What type of man does she think I am?_

Kyle said, _I don't understand, why does she need you more than ever?_

Josh said sadly, _I promised her not to tell, just take my word for it man._

Andy and Jessi were sitting on the floor of Andy's bedroom. Andy was saying, _I just don't need the pity of any one, much less of Josh, go and tell him that Jessi. _

Jessi was confused; Andy was rambling and going from being angry to crying. She knew of something that always seemed to work for Andy so she said, _Andy why don't we play G-force and I call Kyle to bring Josh over so you can kick his ass of that way you can pity him._

Andy thought about it and said, _fine call that looser to come over._

Kyle waited until Josh's shift was over and walked with him over to Andy's house, they found Andy and Jessi eating popcorn and playing G-force.

When Andy saw them she said, _Josh I don't want your pity so get over there with Kyle so me and Jessi can kick your ass. _They boys had to admit that Andy and Jessi were a much better team that them they won all of the time.

Finally Josh said, _Andy see I have no reason to pity you, I just want to be with the most amazing woman in the world all the time no matter what. I am in this for the long run. _

Andy looked at him and said, _fine Josh, but if_ _I_ _even catch you looking at me the wrong way we are done._

Josh walked over to Andy and kissed her, Kyle and Jessi decided to exit the house discreetly.

Once out of the house, Kyle said, _what was that about? _Jessi said, _I have no idea, but it seems they are going to work it out._

Kyle and Jessi were at home watching Casablanca when Andy and Josh entered the family room. Andy said, _Josh you can tell them. _Josh said, _Andy has cancer, and does not want anyone to pity her. We both want to thank you for helping us to stay together._

Jessi said, _your welcome, why don't you join us and watch Casablanca._ Josh and Andy really did not care much about old romantic movies, but it was an opportunity to coddle together, so they sat with Jessi and Kyle.

* * *

It was Saturday morning and Kyle and Jessi were waiting for Shuang and Adam, as they were going out for brunch at the Sky City Restaurant in the Space Needle with them and then to visit the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame.

The limousine pulled up and Jessi and Kyle got in.

Kyle, Jessi, Shuang and Adam were enjoying their Brunch when Jessi said, _in a month Kyle and I are planning to attend Prom, I am so excited. _Kyle added, _I am looking forward to it too, but that means that we will not be able to go out on Saturdays with you guys for the next few weeks._

_How come Kyle?_ Adam asked, he did not see the connection, neither did Shuang.

Kyle said, _because there is some things we need to buy to go to prom and to do that we have decided to work on weekends. We use to do that before our California adventure, except this time we are not planning to get something that permanent as we really enjoy spending time with you._

Jessi added, _Lori and Josh are planning to attend too, and they have been saving all year, so we figured out it would be just fair for us to get our own things like them._

Shuang and Adam did not like the idea at all. They liked doing things with Kyle and Jessi on Saturday's as a "family". It was a day when generally the Twins and George slept in late, and then had friends over for dinner. So Shuang and Adam could spend the afternoons and evenings with them, and the mornings with Kyle and Jessi. Shuang could not wait until they all could do things together.

Adam said, _Kyle you know a father generally helps his son with getting the things he needs for prom, I know you do not quite consider me a father, but would you let me do that for you?_

Before Kyle had a chance to respond Shuang looked at Jessi and said, _and a mother generally helps her daughter to pick out her dress for prom, as well as the accessories. Jessi we have never had a chance to go shopping together, what if I get you what you need for prom? I did that for Ella._

Kyle and Jessi started communicating mentally. Kyle said, _what do you think Jessi?_ Jessi responded, _I don't know Kyle, do you think our Trager parents would approve of it? _Kyle said, _I am no sure Jessi, you know they want us to learn to take care of ourselves. But if we do not accept, we might hurt Adams and Shuangs feelings. _

Jessi said impulsively, _you know is really confusing to have so many parents. We would love for you guys to help us get what we need. But we don't know if our mom and dad would agree, as they want us to learn to be independent._

Shuang understood where the kids were coming from and said, _don't worry about it, me and Adam will talk to Stephen and Nicole and figure something out, we do not want you to feel like you are in the middle. Let us do the parenting and you just worry about being kids._

* * *

Kyle and Jessi were running back home after evening training, when they got home; they started discussing what to do with their car. They agreed to let it run on gasoline for now, and in the summer they would work on adding the solar component, they of course decided to paint it black.

Over at the rack a handsome college student was flirting with Amanda, he had been over, a dozen times in the past 2 weeks to talk to Amanda. He said, _My demoiselle would you agree for us to go out tomorrow, there is going to a concert over at UW. _Amanda said, _Nate I would like to spend time with you, what about we meet here tomorrow, and after my shift we go to the house of my neighbors, and I play the piano for you?_ Nate said, _it is a deal, I will be here tomorrow. _Amanda liked Nate, but she did not feel comfortable, going to a place that far away with him yet, as he really did not know much about him.

On her way home, Amanda stopped at the Trager's. Kyle and Jessi were just finishing painting their car. Amada said, _Hi Jessi and Kyle, wow! That car looks really nice. _Kyle smiled and said, _thank you Amanda. _Jessi said, _we are not finished with it but it is functional, we will be able to drive it to school and other places._

Amanda said, _I was wondering if you would mind me using your piano tomorrow to play for a friend. Not at all Amanda, Kyle and I are cooking dinner tomorrow; we will make enough for you and your friend too._ Kyle and Jessi had learned to play the piano and sing from Mrs. William's in California, when they got back they found an old piano in one of the alleys near the warehouse and repaired it. It was sitting in the family room. They allowed Amanda to use it, in exchange for piano lessons.

* * *

Over at UW in the Latnok offices Michael Cassidy was talking to Nate. Michael said, _Nate have you made any progress in infiltrating the circle of friends of the assets?_

Nate disliked Cassidy profoundly, but had always pretended to be his friend, and to have his back, they had known each other forever. Nate said, _Mike I am making good progress, actually tomorrow I will be spending sometime at their house, and eating dinner with them._

_Good Job mate, let's discuss the plans over dinner. There is a new restaurant I have wanted to try. _Cassidy gave Nate a pad on the back and they exited the office together. Michael actually liked Nate and considered him a friend, even if he was significantly younger. Both had grown up in the Latnok environment, and Nate had never rubbed his intelligence on Michael's face, even if he did it with everyone else.

Amanda and Nate rang the doorbell to the Trager's house. Kyle opened the door, and said, _hi Amanda, you must be Nate, come in guys._ Nate's knees weaken, and he felt a bit dizzy, he had been waiting for years to meet XY. Then Jessi approached, and said, _Hi Amanda, Hi Nate, I am Jessi._ That was almost too much for Nate; he became visibly pale, and had to hold on to a wall. Kyle noticed and helped him to get to a couch; Jessi went and got him a glass of water. Amanda was visibly concerned she said, _Nate is there something wrong? No, Amanda I think maybe I got dehydrated, I will be just fine, I just need to sit for a few minutes._ Kyle and Jessi immediately knew that he was lying, but it appeared like a white lye so they said nothing instead they offer to play the piano until Nate felt better, as Amanda did not want to move from his side.

They both sat at the piano and started playing and singing, She could be you, while they looked at each other eyes. Both Kyle and Jessi had nice voices and perfect pitch.

I'm haunted by this photograph

Don't know why

Everytime I look, I get shivers down my spine

You're such a beautiful face

I know those eyes

They take me back in time

She could be you

I wouldn't even know

She could be you

But that was long ago

She could be you

After Nate recovered, Amanda proceeded to play the piano, latter Lori joined the group and sang a few of her songs with her guitar, also Lori, Kyle and Jessi sang songs together with both the guitar and the piano. When they were finished, they had Nate, Josh, Andy and Declan clapping. Nate said, _impressive. _Andy said, _Josh how come you don't sing and play an instrument like your brother and sisters?_ Josh ignored the question and guided Andy to the dining room. Nicole and Stephen had gone out to a movie and dinner.

Jessi and Kyle discovered that Nate was fun to talk too. He seemed to be able to converse easily on many different topics. He was also very attentive to Amanda and complemented their cooking.

Kyle walked Amanda and Nate to the door, when he shook hands with Nate he discovered the Latnok symbol tattooed on Nate's wrist and felt his stomach turn. He immediately informed Jessi, and both of them waited near Nate's car.

When Nate approached his car, he saw Kyle and Jessi waiting, he walked towards them. Kyle said, _Nate we need to talk. What about? _Nate said in a slightly defensive tone. Kyle pointed to his wrist and said, _About that Latnok symbol on your wrist._

Nate knew that he was going to be having this conversation sooner or later, so he thought that this moment was a good as any other, he actually had been looking forward to this conversation for years. He took a deep breath and said, _sure let's talk about it; I have nothing to hide from you or Jessi. But let's do it at a safe place, where no one else will hear us._ Kyle said _lets go to the park and we can talk by the clearing near the trees, I will get some blankets to sit on._

When they got to the spot where they were going to talk, Kyle and Jessi used their night vision to make sure no one was around. After they sat down, Nate said, _my hearing is not as good as yours, but is much better than that of the average person, let's keep the conversation as low as possible._

Jessi asked, _why do you have that Latnok tattoo on your wrist?_

Nate answered, _it was given to me as a baby to mark me as property of Latnok._

Kyle said, _what do you mean? How can you be Latnok's property if you are a human being?_

Nate answered, _Kyle you should know better, aren't you and Jessi human beings? Is that stopping Latnok from considering you their property and trying to recover you?_

Kyle and Jessi thought that Nate did have a point, and they detected no sign that he was lying. Jessi said, _Nate please explain yourself, this is sounding like an interrogation, and that is not what we want. We only want to know how you are associated to Latnok and what you want from us._

Nate smiled at Jessi and said, _just because you asked Jessi. First the way I am associated to Latnok is similar to your association with Latnok, I am a failed experiment of Latnok. They are really not very good at human experiments; they have ruined that last 3, by that I mean us. What I want from you is friendship, and if possible being part of the people you see as family, after all we are biologically related. I have never had any family. I have waited for so many years to finally meet you._ By this point Nate's voice was shaking and he was fighting back tears. Jessi could only detect pain in Nate but no lies. She gave him a hug, Nate hugged her back and started crying.

Kyle and Jessi knew how hard it was to be a Latnok experiment. Kyle patted Nate on the back. After Nate compose himself, Kyle said, _Nate we would like to hear your story. _Nate looked at Kyle and Jessi, he was not used to trusting people in general, but thought that Jessi and Kyle would have no reason to hurt him.

Nate started,_ I was ordered by the original prototypes 22 years ago, I was supposed to be their son. But when they broke up, neither one of them cared about me. I was left to Latnok to do with me whatever they wanted, they could have at least pay what it cost to create me and give me for adoption. But they did not even care that much. I was gestated in the laboratories of El Congo, it was before they invented the pods. I guess I can count myself lucky on that. The prototypes wanted for me to be smarter that they were, so I was implanted in to a Gorilla for gestation as they did not want to sacrifice a human mother. My gestation lasted 2 years, I am 21 now, as I was born being 15 months old. I was raised in laboratories being tested all the time, until I got smart enough to outsmart them when I was 5, it took 2 more years to convince them that I was defective. When I was 7 they placed me in boarding schools, they still had me spend the summers at Latnok for testing, but it was better than being there all the time._

Nate continued sadly, _I still belong to Latnok, I am experiment B1XY. The only one of the B series thanks God for that. Since they consider me defective, they have offered me the "opportunity" to buy my freedom, I am saving to do that. Technically I could challenge them in court, but I would be dead before the first hearing. I know Latnok inside and out as no one pay's much attention to a failed experiment, I am almost like a fly on the wall, they are used to me being around and think they have my loyalty. They are the ones that send me to infiltrate your inner friend group, I have different motives. My reason is that I have been wanting to meet you since I found out about you when I was 11, being that you are my only biological relatives. If I had refused to do it, they would have sent someone else that is loyal to Latnok, I did not want Latnok having any more power over you that they already have. I have to admit that at first I was just using Amanda to get close to you, but that is not the case now, she is truly an amazing human being, and I really like her._

Jessi asked, _Nate how is it that we are related? _Jessi knew that Nate was telling them the truth as he understood it.

Nate smiled bitterly and said,_ The original prototypes were not created by Latnok but by professor Kern, they were Adam Bailyn and Sarah Emerson. Adam was the worst to me, even when he was a few feet away from me in the laboratories, he never even took a look at me or spoke to me, I wish he was still alive so I could tell him how much I hate him. I hate Sarah too but at least I never met her._

Kyle looked at Nate and knew that he was speaking the truth as he knew it. He did not think Adam or Sarah would be capable of such cruelty. He was certain that Sarah would have never abandon Nate, just by seeing how she reacted to Jessi. Regarding Adam, he was a good man, but clueless many times, as he only could see the best in people. He doubted that Adam knew about Nate, if he did he would have at least mentor him, and paid the price for his freedom. But he was sure that was not what Nate wanted to hear. The only choice he saw was to accept Nate as a brother, and after gaining his trust try to challenge his thinking.

Jessi was thinking in the same line, and said, _Nate I am happy to have a brother like you that has my back even before meeting me. _Then she smiled and gave Nate a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Nate gave her a hug and a kiss on the check and quietly said, _Thanks sis. _

Kyle walked towards Nate and they gave each other a manly hug, then Kyle said, _Nate I am happy to have a big brother. I admire how you are protecting us even without knowing us. Know that we will do the same for you._ Nate said, _thanks Kyle that is what a big brother is supposed to do, protect his younger siblings. _Then he added, _guys thanks for accepting me, I don't want you to have doubts about what I am saying, whenever you want come to my dorm room and take a look at the original files I have them. Also I insist that we take genetic testing at my cost, to prove that we are family. _Kyle smiled and said, _I don't doubt what you are saying, but we will do as you want "big brother"._

Kyle Jessi and Nate walked back with Nate in the middle, and the arms or Jessi and Kyle o around his back and shoulders, ad Nate's arms on their shoulders. Nate was extremely happy he had never experienced love as he was experiencing it now. He had never felt so accepted. As they got closer to his car, the emotions overwhelmed him and he almost fainted. Kyle said, _Nate there is no way we are letting you drive back to UW after almost fainting twice today, you are staying with us._ Nate said, _but I don't want to cause you trouble with your adoptive family. _Jessi said, _nonsense Nicole and Stephen are great parents and our friends are always welcome, and you are our brother, even if we don't tell them you will be welcomed. I mean we have another 4 friends that practically live with us._

When they entered the house, Declan was sleeping on the sofa and Nicole had thrown a blanket on him, Hillary was sleeping in Loris room. They had Nate sit at the table and insisted on him drinking some orange juice while they put the cot in Kyle's room.

The next morning Kyle and Nate walked in to the kitchen, Nicole was already making waffles and Stephen was making the eggs. Kyle said, _good morning mom and dad, this is Nate, a good friend off me and Jessi, he was not feeling well last night, and he spend the night in my room._ Nicole smiled at Nate that was dressed in Kyles PJ's and said_, nice to meet you Nate. _Nate responded _nice to meet you Mrs. and Mr. Trager. I am feeling well now so I will get going._ Stephen said, _Nate if you have something to do, I understand, if not at least stay for breakfast, and you are welcomed to visit for as long as you want. We like getting to know the kids friends._

Nate took Stephen word and stayed until after dinner before leaving, Kyle, Jessi, Amanda and Nate did some fun things together that day.

* * *

_._

Thanks to JasonZ0654 my Beta reader . I appreciate the time he takes to edit my work.

mc aj, Thanks for following and leaving reviews

I appreciate reviews, ideas and comments. Please review.


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